PRPC CONNECTIONS - REMEMBERING...

TIM SULLIVAN

BY: MORGAN C., JANICE VB. & LORI L.

Time After Tim

Janet approached the three PRPC scribes on the day of Tim Sullivan’s Celebration of Life. She asked if we might have time to write about Tim—perhaps he had touched our lives in a special way. Could the three of us get together and write a short story to share with the membership? We had each written a couple of well-received Community Connector articles, and we all agreed that we would be happy to share our memories of Tim as well.

Writing about how Tim Sullivan changed lives with a smile and a kind word should have been easy. Or so I thought. On that beautiful Saturday, I listened as people shared their personal memories of him. We played on the courts, ate all the delicious food, and looked at the many pictures hung along the fences that reflected his family life—all his families. The pickleball family. The poker family. The golfing family. The Vina Robles family. Everyone considered Tim a member of “their” family.

When it came time for the eulogy, his daughter Alyssa took the mic and spoke of her dad in the most authentic, loving, kind, and funny way. Her words reminded me of the man we had all enjoyed knowing.

This was going to be a lot harder than I had originally imagined. It would take volumes to express how Tim had touched all our lives.

Everyone Loves Tim!

Many people stepped up and took the mic after Alyssa. The stories were wonderful. The outpouring of love was incredible. You couldn’t help but want to hug someone—and be a better person.

The common thread was that Tim, while a loving husband and father, was also everyone’s favorite uncle, everyone’s best friend, and, somehow, simultaneously, the best worker, boss, and sibling ever! Tim was funny, silly, sweet, kind, and competitive. Most of all, everyone simply loved Tim.

THE SCRIBES’ STORIES

Morgan’s Story

I first met Tim when I started playing pickleball in the summer of 2025. I walked onto the courts not knowing a single person, doing my best to pretend I wasn’t intimidated by the people—or by the sport itself.

Tim noticed me right away. He seemed to know everyone, so I’m sure it was obvious that I was the new guy. He walked up, introduced himself, and before I knew it, he had pulled me onto the court and we were playing.

For the next several months, we saw each other nearly every morning. Tim was always encouraging and supportive, and remarkably patient as I learned the game. He was simply one of those people who made you feel like you belonged.

One morning, I overheard him talking about a poker game and asked him about it. Before long, I found myself sitting around a table with a whole new group of friends—friends who, I should add, seemed perfectly happy to take the money I was losing.

Then, in December, I unexpectedly ended up in the hospital for back surgery. A few days into my recovery, I received a text from Tim. He was checking on me, making sure I was okay, and asking if there was anything he could bring me at the hospital.

When I told my family about it, I found myself getting emotional. I hadn’t known Tim all that long, and yet here was this man going out of his way to make sure I was okay.

And it wasn’t just that one text. About every week, another one would arrive—always a few kind words, always letting me know he was thinking about me. Those early days of recovery were difficult, both physically and mentally, and Tim made them a little brighter.

I knew Tim for less than a year. That doesn’t seem like very long. But sometimes it doesn’t take years for someone to leave a lasting impression on your life.

Tim did that for me.

I’ll always be grateful that I walked onto those pickleball courts that summer—and that Tim was the guy who walked up and welcomed me in.

Janice’s Story

The first thing that really impressed me about Tim was not just his friendliness, his kindness, or his talent on the courts. He was the only man who ever regularly walked me to my car, opened the door for me, and wished me well. I know I’m not the only one, as I’ve heard the same from others.

After the first week of being escorted by such an honorable gentleman—who had finally renewed my faith in mankind—I proposed marriage to him. We also laughed together a lot.

He sadly had to tell me no because of his first love and commitment to his wife, Brenda. I shared this with Brenda at the Celebration of Life, and we genuinely laughed the same way Tim and I had laughed at the proposal.

He is now, and will continue to be, loved and missed by our group.

Lori’s Story

Two-plus years ago, when I walked onto the courts at Centennial, I must have looked confused, because Tim walked right up to me and asked if I was in need of assistance. I had wandered onto the advanced side holding a less-than-desirable beginner paddle, and I was dressed like a roller derby girl.

He gently steered me back outside and asked about my skill level. I thought he was really sweet as he showed me where to add my name to the list of players. I noticed he was signing left-handed, and after I did the same, we had a common thread.

He was called up to play, and I decided to watch him before I went down to the other end. WOW! He was good—and fun to watch. He even made nice comments about the other guys’ techniques as he proceeded to beat them soundly.

Over time, as we became friends, he helped me with my game, and I told him about my life as a professional horsewoman. Tim seemed to enjoy my stories about rodeo life and stunt work. I learned about his daughter Alyssa’s love of horses and how she became an equine vet.

I told him that I had started looking for a new horse in the spring so that I could begin to ride again and compete. I wanted a young horse of particular breeding. Every time I saw him, he would ask if I had found my horse yet, and every time I would say, “Nope, not yet.”

The last time I saw Tim, I told him I was going to look at the young horse I had talked about riding in the spring. I had shown him her picture back then. He said, “I am sure she is the one. I think you and her will do great things.”

Thank you, Tim, for all your positive thoughts and kind words. For taking the time to listen to not only me, but all of us.

Also, I did get my horse—but you already know that.