Lee Sullivan, 1928-2021
Lee H. Sullivan (born Archilee Hobgood), age 92, of Westminster Village in West Lafayette, Indiana, died on January 18, 2021 from complications of Covid-19.
Lee was born in Providence, Kentucky in 1928, and as an infant, moved to Evansville, Indiana, where she began a lifetime involvement in her church and grew as a natural leader. Serving as president of her senior class, as an actress in numerous school plays, and as city-wide Toastmasters champ for best speech, she was forecast to become the "first woman senator of Indiana" in her Reitz High School Senior yearbook. It was in Evansville she met her future husband, John T. Sullivan, and had 4 children. Her early adult years were filled with a flurry of volunteerism (leader of various church groups, Great Books, cub scouts, and PTA president) and the beginning of a lifetime of creative endeavors (drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, decorating, and writing). In 1968, at the age of 40, her husband became an executive at Bristol Myers Squibb Corporation in NYC, and the family moved to Hartsdale, New York. There she came into her own as a feminist and became devoted to social justice issues. After receiving her bachelors' degree from the New School for Social Research in NYC, she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a minister and in 1983, graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological in NYC. She then served as a parish minister of two Presbyterian Churches outside of NYC for the next 10 years.
After her retirement, she became fascinated by the feminine divine and became an avid reader on the subject. She traveled internationally visiting ancient goddess sites and collected over 100 goddesses from these travels. She and her husband relocated to Stamford, Connecticut in 1995, where she established "The Birthing Room", a studio in her home devoted to workshops where women could explore their spirituality and learn about the feminine divine. She also became an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Stamford.
After almost 61 years of marriage, her husband died on July 13, 2008, and in 2010 she moved to Lafayette, Indiana to be closer to her daughter, Rebecca Sullivan, and her son-in-law, Dave Kiser. She became active in the Unitarian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana and became a favorite at the Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette, acting in several plays, including "Still Kicking" and "Lost in Yonkers". She also loved doing presentations on her pursuit of the goddess and showing off her "girls," as she liked to call them. She belonged to a women's spirituality group, a writer's group, had many friends, and was passionate about her philanthropical interest.
Surviving family: children, Rebecca Sullivan (Dave Kiser), Matthew Sullivan (Janet Sullivan), Sara Spangenberger, and Julia Moeller (Randy Moeller); and grandsons, Anthony and John Spangenberger, and Devin Sullivan-Lee; a brother, Bill Sullivan; and several nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death are her husband, John T. Sullivan; parents, Francis and Nina Hobgood; siblings, Morton Hobgood, Peggy Hewlett, Gordon Hobgood, and Ruth Fielden; and son-in-law, Anthony ("Skip") Spangenberger.
In lieu of flowers, please give a donation in her name to the Unitarian Universalist Church of West Lafayette, IN, Planned Parenthood, or one of your other favorite women's causes. A memorial service will be planned for the summer time when her friends and family can once again safely gather. Share memories and condolences online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com