Edmund Sullivan Obituary

Edmund R. ``Ed" Sullivan, Jr., 77, of 687 South Lincoln Ave., artist, cartoonist, author and former Associate Editor of the Catholic Exponent, died of cancer at his home in Salem on Saturday evening, August 26, 2006.

Sullivan, a free-lance cartoonist and fine artist whose cartoons appeared in Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Ladies' Home Journal and other periodicals and books, was well known to local fans of the former comic strips, ``Pricilla's Pop" and ``Out Our Way--the Willets," as well as for his popular set of limited edition prints of historic Salem which hang in many Salem businesses and homes.

A largely self-taught creative talent spun his career, from popular cartooning to writing, illustrating, fine-line pencil drawing, watercolor painting, greeting card design and his unique ``inkstoppers." Cartooning, however, was `in his blood" and accounted for the major portion of his successful career.

Sullivan was born in Gardner, Mass. His family relocated to Akron, Ohio when he was 15, where his cartoon career took off at Garfield High with humor columns and cartoons drawn for the school paper.

In 1967, he established his own syndicate, ``Avant Features," to further promote his cartoon, now called ``Beyond the Stained Glass" and more secular in its content.

Also in 1967, Sullivan joined the staff of the Youngstown diocesan paper ``The Catholic Exponent," as a reporter. While on an assignment he met his future wife, Gerry Van Hovel, a kindergarten teacher living in Canfield, Ohio. They were married June 21, 1969.

He is survived by his wife, Gerry (Van Hovel) Sullivan and a brother, Geoffrey Sullivan of Washington State.

A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006 at. St. Paul's Church in Salem. Burial will be at Grandview Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday, Sept. 1, 2006, at Stark Memorial from 2 to 4 or 6 to 8 p.m. Sullivan's favorite charities were: Our Lady's Purse of St. Paul's; Food for the Poor, Inc. at 550 SW 12th Avenue, Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Disabled American Veterans; and Catholic Charities of Youngstown.