Leland “Merlin” Sullivan, 85, passed away peacefully July 3rd, 2012 at Dixie Regional Medical Center surrounded by family. He fought a valiant battle with Leukemia but Heavenly Father decided he needed Merlin home.
He was born January 23, 1927 in Leeds, Utah and was the 3rd of five children born to Leland George Sullivan and Lula Ballard Sullivan. He married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Tana Seegmiller Sullivan, on March 4th, 1948 in the St. George LDS temple.
Leland Merlin Sullivan lived his entire life in Leeds and before passing was the oldest resident who had been born in that city. He grew up working on the family farm and enjoyed playing baseball. He went in the military and served in WW2 where he excelled on a shooting team that traveled Europe. He drove trucks for a short time, a profession he couldn’t get out of fast enough! He had multiple farming enterprises his entire life, which included raising peaches, chickens, strawberries, onions, alfalfa, beets, and cattle.
Merlin also served as a bishop for seven years. During these years, to support his farming habit, he was a professional deer hunting guide, a country school bus driver, and Water Master in Leeds for forty years. Later, still farming, he developed and ran his own charter bus company. He loved driving buses and enjoyed talking with his passengers. Merlin loved life and his family. His strong work ethic drove his life and generated success in everything he did. Work is the four-letter word that defined Merlin.
Merlin is survived by his wife Tana; sons, Clayton (Joan) Sullivan, Kelly (Marlene) Sullivan, & Shane (Rachelle) Sullivan; brothers, Ned (Jerry) Sullivan and Gary (Janice) Sullivan; 16 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
He is predeceased by his son Jeff, grandson Chaz, parents Leland and Lula, brother Clayton, and sister Karma (Stan) Sorenson.
Viewings will be held on July 6th from 6-8 pm at Spilsbury Mortuary 110 S. Bluff Street, St. George, UT and July 7th, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the LDS chapel 82 N. Main Leeds, UT.
Funeral services will be held Saturday July 7th at 11:00 a.m. at the Leeds LDS Chapel. Interment will be at the Leeds cemetery directly following the funeral service.
He was born January 23, 1927 in Leeds, Utah and was the 3rd of five children born to Leland George Sullivan and Lula Ballard Sullivan. He married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Tana Seegmiller Sullivan, on March 4th, 1948 in the St. George LDS temple.
Leland Merlin Sullivan lived his entire life in Leeds and before passing was the oldest resident who had been born in that city. He grew up working on the family farm and enjoyed playing baseball. He went in the military and served in WW2 where he excelled on a shooting team that traveled Europe. He drove trucks for a short time, a profession he couldn’t get out of fast enough! He had multiple farming enterprises his entire life, which included raising peaches, chickens, strawberries, onions, alfalfa, beets, and cattle.
Merlin also served as a bishop for seven years. During these years, to support his farming habit, he was a professional deer hunting guide, a country school bus driver, and Water Master in Leeds for forty years. Later, still farming, he developed and ran his own charter bus company. He loved driving buses and enjoyed talking with his passengers. Merlin loved life and his family. His strong work ethic drove his life and generated success in everything he did. Work is the four-letter word that defined Merlin.
Merlin is survived by his wife Tana; sons, Clayton (Joan) Sullivan, Kelly (Marlene) Sullivan, & Shane (Rachelle) Sullivan; brothers, Ned (Jerry) Sullivan and Gary (Janice) Sullivan; 16 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
He is predeceased by his son Jeff, grandson Chaz, parents Leland and Lula, brother Clayton, and sister Karma (Stan) Sorenson.
Viewings will be held on July 6th from 6-8 pm at Spilsbury Mortuary 110 S. Bluff Street, St. George, UT and July 7th, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the LDS chapel 82 N. Main Leeds, UT.
Funeral services will be held Saturday July 7th at 11:00 a.m. at the Leeds LDS Chapel. Interment will be at the Leeds cemetery directly following the funeral service.
