William Parsons Sullivan Jr.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Patriarch of our family. Our father, William P. "Bill" Sullivan Jr., passed peacefully on Thurs., Jan. 29, 2026. Born on Feb. 6, 1943, to the late William P. Sr. and Theora Swingle Sullivan, Bill lived most of his life in Tompkins County, more specifically, Ithaca. Bill was a graduate of Ithaca High School, then went on to study at the University of Notre Dame ('65) and further graduated from the University of Buffalo Law School. He was admitted to practice law by the State of NY in 1968. While at Notre Dame, Bill met and married his wife of 60+ years, Teresa Ryan Sullivan, marrying on 06/06/64 in Ithaca. After living for a short time in the Buffalo area, they returned to Ithaca and Tompkins County to raise a family. Bill was elected Tompkins County District Attorney on 11/02/71 and held that position until defeated in re-election, serving until the end of 1974. Bill holds the distinct honor of being the youngest DA in Tompkins County history, being just 28 years old when elected. After his service to Tompkins County, Bill opened Sullivan Law Firm, where he practiced until 2008. Bill's passion for law was clearly evident. He loved every aspect of the law and spoke to his children not about guilt or innocence but rather "keeping them honest." Having what some thought was a photographic memory, he could research and find case law to support almost any aspect of any case, much to the dismay of court clerks, other attorneys, and judges, with his encyclopedia-thickness briefs and responses. It wasn't ever a game, but some believed he thought it was. He would "banter" or "bicker" back and forth with witnesses and police, appearing to get angered. However, once outside the courtroom, he could be found joking and talking about nonsense in the halls or on the street. He was described as bull-headed and a formidable opponent, but never someone who didn't know and love the law. Never one to turn down a challenge, Bill was often assigned some well-known cases that other attorneys didn't seem to want to take in Central NY. Two well-known cases for Tompkins County were People vs. King and People vs. Shillingford, both bringing sometimes difficult notoriety to his family. But Bill believed that every person, regardless of circumstances, deserved a fair trial, and he did his best to provide that for all his clients. After Bill and Terry returned to Ithaca, they were blessed with six children, five sons and one daughter. Having a large family didn't stop Bill from making a difference in the lives of other youth in our County. While he may have spent his days in and out of courthouses, you could find him on the weekends and evenings on the baseball field coaching, not only his children but other kids as well. He coached kids all the way from Kiwanis league up through Babe Ruth. He may have had some "unorthodox" ways of getting signals/signs to players on the field; there was never any doubt that he knew and loved the game. And Bill made sure to make every effort to support all his children in their chosen sports, from little league to high school and beyond. He'd often show up to various team sports in a suit and tie just to support and watch his children. His love of baseball started back when he was a young boy, rooting for the best team, the NY Yankees, and made sure his children grew up knowing they were the ONLY team to support. Yankee baseball was tied with one other team, but not baseball. Bill's love for his Alma Mater, Notre Dame, started his lifelong love and support of ND football. It was solidified when he went there, where he was a proud member of the Marching Band. He'd often pretend he was playing an instrument again to his children or grandchildren when he heard their fight song on TV, pretending to march along as well. He loved the campus and school so much that he became a recruiter/information officer for ND, visiting local college fairs and high school college information sessions. He was proud to bring his children multiple times to the Notre Dame campus to soak in all the glory. The Cathedral, the Grotto, the Golden Dome, Basilica, and of course the football field were always visited. Bill was also a very deep man of faith. He was a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Church and was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus. Bill could often be seen walking or headed to/from mass daily and was proud of the volunteer work done by both, specifically recalling the old Church picnics and Parish Festivals every year. Bill was all about giving back and helping his community. Bill will also be remembered fondly for the many things he collected. It started with coins and stamps and went on to angels and Catholic relics/statues and figurines of various saints, even including such things like his fascination with learning all he could and collecting books and different mementos of past presidents like Lincoln and JFK. He even loved to talk about how he used to raise, breed, and show fancy guppies, winning many ribbons in those early years. His love of fish grew into a dream become reality in the form of a family business, Tropical World '82. What started as simply a retail tropical fish store grew into a small animal store, with a name change to Tropical Pets. All of his children worked there over the years. His son John and favorite German Shepherd dog, Ceasar, took over running the store until it closed in late 1996. Later in life, Bill found a new passion in photography. It started with still photos and moved into digital. It's a pretty good guarantee that most in our area saw him at some point around town with not just a camera but a huge camera with a massive lens. Bill loved to document anything and everything, from family and friends to local sporting events of any kind and the beauty of Ithaca and Tompkins County. He specifically loved all the state parks and their various waterfalls. He loved to gift these to people, usually as a welcomed surprise.