Obituary of James Stephen Sullivan

James Stephen Sullivan, LT USN (Ret.), 86, of Clifton Park, NY passed away Friday, January 20. Jim was born in Yonkers, NY on April 12, 1936, the son of the late John J. and Eleanor M. (O'Brien) Sullivan. Jim spent his early years in several Hudson Valley towns due to his father being in the construction business. He spent the bulk of his grammar school years in Albany, and attended the Vincentian Institute “Glass School.” The Sullivan family moved to White Plains in 1948 and Jim graduated from Archbishop Stepinac High School in 1953. He attended Manhattan College for one year before joining the U.S. Navy. Jim served on several Atlantic Fleet destroyers and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an Electronics Technician before entering the Navy Nuclear Power program in 1962. He returned to the Capital District to train at the Kesselring Site in West Milton, then stayed on as an instructor of Reactor Operators.

In 1963, he married Sylvia Zvingilas in Jewett City, CT. They lived in Ballston Spa until Jim was promoted to Warrant Officer and transferred to the Nuclear Power training site in Windsor, CT as a member of the Schenectady Naval Reactors Office. After being promoted to Limited Duty Officer, Jim was transferred to his last assignment, the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser USS Long Beach in Long Beach, CA. His last Navy job was Training Officer for the Engineering Department of the Long Beach. He retired as a Lieutenant in 1974 and settled with Sylvia and their four sons in Castleton, VT. He then graduated from Castleton State College and worked for 14 years at the Vermont Electric Power Company as a Transmission Coordinator. He was active in the Castleton area for many years as a Little League baseball coach and as a high school girls basketball coach. After more than thirty years in Castleton, Sylvia passed away and Jim subsequently re-married and re-located to Clifton Park.

Jim was predeceased by his second wife Sally (Phelps) Sullivan of Clifton Park whom he married March 21, 2007. He is survived by his wife, Susan (Navarette) Sullivan, his sons, Gregory (Dr. Nathalie Szilagyi) of Meriden, CT, Christopher of Canajoharie, NY, Jeffrey (Kimberly) of Hazleton, PA, and Stephen (Cynthia) of Broad Brook, CT. He is also survived by six grandchildren, a brother, John Jr. (Jerry) and two sisters, Judith Prell and Kathleen Walter. In addition to his wives, he was pre-deceased by a sister, Joan Haney, and brothers Joseph, Michael and Brien Sullivan.

Having taken on the role of primary caregiver and medical transport provider for both of his previous wives, Jim in his later years was the recipient of that same

kindness from his wife Susan, for which he was immensely thankful and eternally grateful.   

Graveside service and interment will be in the Spring.