William Joel Sullivan's Obituary
William Joel Sullivan, 71, passed away on Saturday, June 21, 2014, after a lengthy illness. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. at Perry United Methodist Church. Entombment will be in the Freedom Mausoleum at Perry Memorial Gardens immediately following the service. The family will visit with friends on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, from 2:00 until 3:00 p.m., the hour preceding the service, in the sanctuary at Perry United Methodist Church. The family respectfully requests contributions to Alzheimer's Association, 886 Mulberry Street, Macon, GA 31201, to honor Joel's support of this organization that helped his father who suffered from Alzheimer's.
Joel was born in LaGrange, Georgia, to the late William C. "Doug" Sullivan and Lucille Ford Sullivan. Upon graduation from Troup County High School, he passed up a baseball career to join the U.S. Air Force, where he proudly served our country for 4 years. Joel received an Associate's Degree from Middle Georgia College in Criminal Justice, which he put to good use during his 25+ year career in law enforcement. He began working for the Houston County District Attorney's office as an investigator, then later transferred to the Warner Robins Police Department as a patrolman and eventually a detective. Joel joined the Middle Georgia Fugitive Squad for a few years and ended his career on the DEA Federal Task Force. Through the years, he enjoyed giving closure to many family members involved with cases on which he worked. Although he was active in enforcing the law by detaining many individuals during his career, he always believed in giving people a second chance. Joel enjoyed hunting and taught both of his sons how to hunt, hunter safety, and gun safety at an early age. He coached little league baseball when his sons were young, and always enjoyed spending time with his family.
Left to cherish the memories of Joel are his loving wife of 41 years, Carolyn Vance Sullivan of Perry; his two sons, Chris Sullivan (Krissie) of Roswell, and Chad Sullivan (Sarah Dickerson) of Perry; his sister, Shirley Sullivan Collins (David) of Klondike; five grandchildren; two nieces; and two nephews.
Condolences may be left for the family in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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