Monica Sullivan ‘70
Monica Claire Sullivan, age 71, died Friday, September 15, 2023. She was born March 28, 1952, in Columbus, Ohio to James and Annrita Sullivan, the seventh of eight children. Monica was predeceased by her parents and her husband of 23 years, William H. Phillips III, her sister Molly Sullivan and brother Timothy Sullivan, her sister-in-law, Russell Welch and her brother-in-law Ronald Noll. Monica is survived by Bill’s children, Kathryn Phillips Hosmer (John) and William H. Phillips IV (Keisha), their children, sister-in-law Mary (Michael) Feeney, brother-in-law John Welch, 5 Phillips nieces and nephews, and her siblings, Maureen Sullivan Drury, Anne Sullivan Noll, Christine (Joseph) Finocchi, Mark (Gail) Sullivan and Lisa (Bill) Gallant, 17 Sullivan nieces and nephews, 25 Sullivan great nieces and nephews, and many other dear family and friends.
After graduating from DeSales High School in 1970, Monica graduated in 1974 from the University of Dayton with a degree in American Studies and immediately moved to Washington, D.C. She lived on Capitol Hill for the next 47 years, a life full of the vibrancy of the city she loved. She started work as a secretary at the League of Women Voters in 1975, found her niche as a gifted writer and editor, and left there many years later as their Director of Communications. She worked then as a Senior Copy Editor for the National Journal until her retirement in 2016. During her employment by the League and the NJ she attended multiple national political conventions and she thrived in the heart of our national government, sharing her incredible knowledge of political and policy matters and issues of importance with voters and readers of the Journal. She married her gift with the written word to her desire to inform and educate the electorate, and in so doing, became the truest version of a public servant.
After her retirement, Monica lived several more years in D.C., but after the death of her beloved husband, eventually made a choice to return to live closer to family in Columbus. We were blessed to have her back among us for these past few years.