William Francis "Bill" Sullivan
Marriages
Kathleen Marie Bowlds
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7 B Obituary - May 30, 2014
William “Bill” Francis Sullivan
passed away on May 21 2014, in
Casper, Wyoming at the age of 73.
Born in Denver, CO March 14,
1941, he was the eldest son of
William F. and Hortense (Maroney)
Sullivan. After attending Regis
High School in Denver, he served
in the Marines. He returned to
Denver and married Kathleen Marie Bowlds, his high school friend.
He was selling Singer sewing machines door to door before moving to
Grand Junction as the store manager. He began his broadcasting career
as news, weather, and sports broadcaster and salesman for KREZ in
Durango, CO in in 1965.
He devoted 43 years in various roles in television broadcasting, including
on air appearances in “Sheriff Bill” Kids Program, Letters to
Santa, and many live (and notorious) television advertising commercials.
He was a weather broadcaster and salesman at KREX in Grand
Junction Colorado for ten years (in 1970s), before subsequently being
promoted to Sales Manager, and eventually Station Manager. After 21
years in Grand Junction, he spent the next ten years managing television
stations in Montana, and then Indiana. His leadership and human
relations talents were well recognized and during this time served on
the Board of the National Association of Broadcasters and became
Chairman of the CBS Television Affiliates Board. In 2002, he moved
to Casper, WY to oversee the establishment of the new NBC station,
KCWY 13, which in just five years was recognized (sate wide) as Station
of the Year in 2008.
Just as long as his broadcasting career, was his love of service as a
Shriner. He was active as a member of the El Jebel Temple in CO, the
Baghdad Shrine Temple in Montana, and served as Public Relations
Chairman for the Korein Temple in Wyoming. Nationally he served
on the Imperial Public Relations Committee for 19 years. In his recent
years of retirement he treasured his rewarding role as coordinator
of travel for children receiving care at Shriners Children’s Hospitals
across the country.
Bill will be remembered for his incredible energy for community service
- and he provided leadership to many organizations, including the
United Way, Boy Scouts, Rotary Club and Lions Club, to name a few.
He was recognized with the Montana’s Governors Award for Humanities
in 1995. He served on the boards and foundations of Community
Hospital in Grand Junction, Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, the
local Airport Authority Board as well as several other organizations.
He will be fondly remembered among family, friends and coworkers,
as one who lived life with energy, laughter, a special voice, and the love
of family. He enjoyed camping, fishing, and traveling, and attending
Denver Broncos and Univ. of Wyoming football games.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kathleen; his six children, and
13 grandchildren, Dan (Jennifer) Sullivan, Kevin (Constance) Sullivan,
Terry Sullivan, Molly (George) Murphy, Brian (Monique) Sullivan,
and Katie (Scott) Finholm, and three brothers, Tim (Janice)Sullivan,
Michael (Trish) Sullivan, and Chris (Stacy) Sullivan, and two sisters,
Patricia Coates and Kathi (Jon) Sullivan.
Services in the memory of Bill, begin in Casper on Sunday June 1,
2014, with a viewing from 4 - 7:00 p.m. and a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. at
Bustards Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass begins Monday at 2:00 p.m.
at St Anthony’s of Padua in Casper. Reception and Celebration of Life
follows at Casper Shrine Club. Burial will be in Grand Junction, CO on
June 7th at 11:00 a.m. at the Orchard Mesa Cemetery with reception
following.
In lieu of flowers, family requests any donations be made to the Casper
Shrine Patient Travel Fund or a charity of choice.
