Arthur Francis Sullivan
April 27, 1929 – September 18, 2026

Arthur Francis Sullivan, beloved husband, father, grandfather, Korean War veteran, firefighter and friend, passed away at the age of 97.

An only child, Artie built his life around family, service, faith and home. For more than 50 years, Artie and his loving wife, Maureen, made their home overlooking the Hempstead Country Club Golf Course on Sunset Drive in Hempstead, New York. It was there that they raised their four children, Michael, Keely, Aileen and Andrew, built lifelong friendships, and hosted countless parties and gatherings. Artie took tremendous pride in his home, especially his beautiful garden, which he loved caring for and was always happy to show off.

Artie and Maureen were married on February 10, 1962, beginning a marriage that would span more than six decades. After Artie retired, they shared a love of travel and enjoyed many wonderful trips together, exploring places around the world and taking numerous river cruises. Those adventures became another treasured chapter in their long life together.

They moved in 2017 to a townhouse in Oakdale, New York, looking for a simpler and easier way of life as they got older. After Maureen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, they moved together to Brandywine Living at Huntington Terrace in 2022. Artie lived in his own apartment while Maureen lived in the memory care unit, but they remained very much a part of each other’s daily lives.

For much of their marriage, Maureen had been the caregiver, always looking after Artie and their family. In their later years, those roles were reversed, and Artie had the opportunity to care for the woman who had spent so many years caring for him. He picked Maureen up from her unit each day and brought her back to his apartment so they could spend time together. He took her for walks, brought her to the gym for exercise, and made sure they continued to share their days together. It was a role Artie embraced with devotion, continuing to look after the woman with whom he had shared nearly a lifetime until the final months of his life.

Artie proudly served his country in the United States Army. He first served from 1947 to 1948 with the Army Security Agency in Europe and later served during the Korean War with the 3rd Division. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star in recognition of his service and participation in a Korean War campaign.

Service also defined Artie’s professional life. He joined the New York City Fire Department in August 1955 and began a career that would span nearly 38 years. Over the years, he served with Engine 65, Engine 26, Ladder 132, Ladder 13, Ladder 9, Engine 262 and Battalion 57. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1967, Captain in 1973 and Battalion Chief in 1983. Artie ended his FDNY career as a Battalion Chief, retiring on May 1, 1993.

The FDNY was one of the great passions of Artie’s life. He loved talking about the Fire Department, the people he worked alongside and the experiences they shared. During his career, he received numerous awards and commendations for saving people’s lives, though anyone who knew him would know how unlikely he was to bring those accomplishments up himself. Artie was not one to boast about the things he had done. His service spoke for itself.

The attacks of September 11, 2001, affected Artie deeply. He lost many friends and brothers in the FDNY and, in the weeks that followed, attended close to 60 funerals to honor those who had been lost.

Long before his FDNY career, Artie had developed another lifelong passion. He studied horticulture at the Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute in Farmingdale, now Farmingdale State College, and worked as a gardener and assistant gardener for New York City agencies, including the Parks Department and New York City Housing Authority. That knowledge and love of plants never left him. His garden on Sunset Drive was a source of enormous pride, and he loved showing it to family and friends. After retiring from the FDNY, Artie earned the title of master horticulturist and spent many years volunteering one day each week at Old Westbury Gardens.

Artie was also a man of deep Catholic faith. A member of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in West Hempstead for more than 50 years, his faith remained an important part of his life. In his later years, he most recently attended St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Melville and continued going to church every Sunday until just a few months ago. Well into his 90s, Artie still got down on his knees every night to pray.

Those who knew Artie knew that he could have a tough exterior. He was direct, strong-willed and rarely left anyone wondering what he thought. But beneath that exterior was a deeply caring man who often showed how much he cared through his actions rather than his words.

Above all else, Artie was devoted to his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Maureen; his children, Michael Sullivan, Keely Rehman, Aileen Sheridan and Andrew Sullivan; his sons-in-law, Denis Sheridan and Daniel Rehman; his much-loved grandchildren, Dylan, Sean, Brian and Keira, who knew him as “Pop Pop”; and many nieces and nephews. He was the only child of Marjorie and Arthur Sullivan and was predeceased by his beloved brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Edward and Mary O’Halloran of Phoenix, Arizona.

Artie’s life stretched across nearly a century, through service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War., a distinguished career with the FDNY, decades spent raising his family on Sunset Drive, travels around the world with Maureen, and his later years devoted to remaining close to her. Through all of those chapters, he remained fiercely loyal to the people, places and institutions he loved.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hempstead, New York. Artie will be laid to rest with military honors at Calverton National Cemetery.