Leo Holden Sullivan

A commanding presence quietly left this world on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Leo Holden Sullivan was born on August 24, 1935 to James Sullivan and Veronica Norton in Boston, Massachusetts. Leo and his siblings, Brian and Jane, were raised in a family that instilled deep faith and fortitude. As a young man, Leo sought a future in media bi-coastally, beginning in advertising in Los Angeles and moving to New York in the late 50’s, and in the mid 60’s he claimed Texas as his permanent second home. As one of the original Mad Men, Leo’s work on major campaigns for the oil and telecommunications industries gained him notoriety and lauded nods from advertising industry publications and esteemed peers. His most notable project was the Dr Pepper “I’m A Pepper” campaign in the 80’s, which proved as one of his career highs. He reveled in the grit and glory of advertising and left the industry to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and further tapped into his inherent leadership and mentoring aptitudes for his second act as a small business consultant before retirement. Leo found guiding new business owners fulfilling and he celebrated their wins with them.

As father to Sean Richard and Leigh Ann, Leo embraced the patriarchal role with strength and humility. He expected excellence from himself and encouraged his children to strive for greatness in all of their endeavors. He expressed incredible pride in them as his children and in the adults they became. Leo’s greatest compliment to Sean and Leigh came when he stated something was “Satisfactory,” which meant he could not reach a prouder moment with them. Those moments came often and will be missed.

Leo believed that service was an essential part of every community in which he established himself, and he was engaged as a Lion, with Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, and in the Catholic Church as a Minister of the Eucharist, Lector, and Knight of Columbus. Since his Boston accent persisted, Leo would practice his readings prior to each Mass to ensure that the Texas congregation could comfortably understand his diction.

Leo was preceded in death by his parents; his dearly departed wife, Dolores Ann Ellison Sullivan; first wife, Anne Merrill Ahrendts Sullivan; sister, Jane Sullivan Clifford; and nieces, Sheila Hobin and Pamela Pack. He is survived by his brother, Brian Sullivan and his wife Vita; son, Sean Sullivan and his wife Marilyn; daughter, Leigh Ann Sullivan-Davis and her partner CJ; grandchildren, Chase Holden Sullivan and his wife Brittnie, Faith Rhiannon Davis, and Seth Hobin Davis; and great-grandchildren, Avery Reigh Sullivan, Kenneth Charles Searfoss, and Ainsley Renee Sullivan, whose presence lit up his aging eyes. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews and extended family friends that he cherished.

Leo will be remembered for his boisterous, larger-than-life personality, his sense of humor and contagious laugh, his staunch love for his family, and his protective nature. He remained Boston Strong through the last few months of his life, astonishing doctors with his resilience in the darkest health moments, and he embraced his adopted Texas persona every chance he had by donning his cowboy hat. He was excited about Pope Leo XIV before his passing and enjoyed sharing such a fantastic name with the pontiff.

The family would like to extend their warm thanks to Woodway Rehabilitation and Nursing Center for their kind and attentive care of Leo over the past year.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School. Leo was a force in this world that will not be duplicated. He ‘lived a life that was full and traveled each and every highway. And more, much more than this, he did it his way.’