Sharon Ann Sullivan

On June 29, 2026 our family lost its glue: the sweetest, feistiest spirit packed into 4'11" of pure love left this world. It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mother Sharon Ann (Fraley) Sullivan, affectionately known as "Nana." She was just shy of her 82nd birthday. Sharon was born on July 21, 1944 and raised in Gaithersburg, Maryland. From a very young age, Sharon distinguished herself as her own person: a hard worker, self-disciplined, and a lifelong friend to many. After college she worked at Control Data, where she met Larry Sullivan. They were married on May 11, 1968 and just celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary. The couple moved to Minneapolis where they made their home and built their family Throughout several careers, Sharon always established herself as a humble but irreplaceable employee. She often grew her own responsibilities as she learned new tasks, took on new roles, typed at lightning speed, and became indispensable: she fixed existing systems and built new ones from scratch. She was innovative, a lifelong learner, and embodied the strongest of work ethics. She was ground-breaking as well: at a time when women were not allowed to continue to work once visibly pregnant, Sharon informed Control Data that not only would she work throughout her pregnancy, she would also return to work after her baby was born. After leaving Control Data, she moved on to multiple positions that allowed her to support and care for her beloved family all while distinguishing herself in her field. She was the secretary at Annunciation School, worked in the career counselor's office at Benilde St. Margaret's, and worked for Delta airlines for over 20 years, finally retiring from her 60+ hour weeks at the age of 76. Sharon's greatest joy and biggest source of pride has always been her family. Her children and grandchildren are her life's work: living for them was like breathing for her. She and Larry have four children: Kimberly Lichtenwalter, Jill (Won) Chau, Susi Little, and Mike (Kim) Beckett. She adored her 8 grandchildren and co-conspirators: Matthew Lichtenwalter, Bella, Sophie, Gabbi, and Liam Chau, Luka and Ian Little, and Moira Sullivan. Nana had a remarkable way of making people feel loved and valued. Sharon never missed any of her children's swim meets, play and choir performances, or important school milestones. Every single one, without fail. She continued this devout attendance for any and all events in her grandchildren's lives as well. She was a staple and well-known by other fans across both generations: nothing could stop her from showing her love by cheering us on. When asked how Sharon is doing, her answer always deflected to unabashed boasts about her grandchildren's recent accomplishments: she glowed when she talked about them. Sharon loved to be surrounded by family: she took her kids daily to the Edina Pool, adored sleepovers with grandchildren filled with tea parties, baking, sewing, and crafting (the remaining glitter evidence will outlast us all), and taught us all the art of blowing the paper off of straws - her bad influence leaving a long trail of wrappers over the years. She loved to plan glorious family trips, and infused the holidays with a sense of wonder and magic that far outlasted the gifts and years. She celebrated birthdays so that each person felt cherished. She was the creator of traditions that made us groan but we all secretly love. Sharon generously shared her talents as a lifelong volunteer: Girl Scout troop leader, church and elementary school volunteer, swim meet coordinator, and most recently, a volunteer with Community Thread. Sharon was a voracious reader: she devoured mysteries (particularly those starring cats), and often had to replace well-loved books once the pages started falling out. She was an adventurous traveler, visiting China, Thailand, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, Hawaii, and countless states in the continental US. She felt most at peace on a beach with her toes in the ocean. She worked for the best things in life only so she could share them with her family. Sharon was spunky even when facing life's greatest challenge, and she never backed down. The family is eternally grateful for the loving care and support of Dr. Chow at Methodist Hospital as well as the incredible staff at Trinity Care Center and Brighton Hospice. Sharon often made them laugh and reminded them that "It's lucky I'm so cute!". Sharon will be desperately missed by her husband, children, grandchildren, countless friends, brother, brother and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and the Minneapolis and Stillwater communities. A Celebration of Life will be held in Sharon's honor: Thursday, July 23, 2026 Hillside Chapel 2610 19th Ave NE in Minneapolis Visitation: 1-2:00 pm Service: 2:00 pm Memorials if preferred to Humane Society, Down Syndrome of MN, or Breakthrough T1D (Type 1 Diabetes research). Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our Nana.

Sharon Ann Sullivan

July 21, 1944 - June 29, 2026

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