[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RETIREMENT OF JAMES E. SULLIVAN

                                 ______


                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 28, 1996

  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to 
congratulate Mr. James E. Sullivan of Springfield, MA, on his 
retirement from the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority after more than 20 
years of diligent service. Mr. Sullivan, or Jimmy, is a lifelong 
resident of Springfield and hails from a family with a strong tradition 
in public service. The youngest of five brothers, James answered the 
call to public service shortly after his graduation from Cathedral High 
School in 1949 when he joined the 104th Air National Guard. Jimmy 
served the Guard dutifully for 9 years, handling supplies and public 
relations for the 104th. Following his honorable discharge, James began 
a distinguished working career in a wide variety of occupations 
including finance, sales, media, and ultimately transportation. It was 
in this final area that James excelled, working his way up the ladder 
of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority from a toll taker to an 
assistant superintendent, a position he held for the past 17 years.
  In addition to his outstanding work for the MTA, Jimmy was extremely 
active in a host of community activities. He served as president of the 
Sacred Heart Holy Name Society and is currently a lecturer and a 
eucharistic minister at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Springfield. He was 
also a member of several organizations that have made tremendous 
contributions to the Springfield community. Among these organizations 
are the Knights of Columbus, the Archbishop Williams Council, and the 
Springfield Elks Lodge. James also served as the chairman of the Ward 2 
Democratic Committee in Springfield. It was also from this position 
that he offered tremendous support for the many area politicians who 
hailed from ward 2, including myself.
  In addition to these other activities, Jimmy has been tremendously 
active in Irish affairs both at home and abroad. As a member of the 
John Boyle O'Reilly Club and the host of an Irish radio program for 25 
years, he is intensely proud of his Irish heritage. These two 
activities have provided him with an ideal vehicle to expose several 
generations of Irish-Americans, in the Springfield area, to the rich 
traditions of song and history that Ireland enjoys. He has also been a 
longtime advocate of the peace process and I know he has done much to 
promote this sentiment throughout our region.
  I would like to congratulate Jimmy on a wonderful career and I wish 
him all the best as he enjoys his retirement with his wife Peggy, his 
children Margaret, Sean, and Thomas, and his granddaughter Kaila. While 
this retirement is a tremendous loss for the MTA, I know that it will 
enable him to devote even more time to a family he cares for deeply.
  I would also like to salute Jimmy Sullivan as a true public servant. 
His devotion to his family, his church, his job, his country, and his 
heritage have enabled him to enrich the lives of all who know him. As 
his Congressman, fellow Democrat, and personal friend, I join the 
citizens of the Second Congressional District in offering Jimmy our 
heartfelt congratulations. His life and service to his community are an 
inspiration to us all and I thank him for all that he has done.

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