Samuel "Sam" Sullivan

Samuel "Sam" Sullivan

January 3, 1944 – January 9, 2026

Samuel "Sam" Sullivan, beloved father and faithful servant of God, passed away on January 9th, 2026, shortly after celebrating his 82nd birthday. He was born on January 3, 1944, in Greenville, Missouri. His family raised Brahman cows for the rodeo, an early glimpse of the adventurous spirit that would define his life.

Sam was someone who often saw what others missed. As a young man, he saw the pain of the world, and that awareness inspired him to answer the call to serve his country by enlisting in the military. His service took him across the Atlantic, where he became part of Strategic Air Command.

He returned home with a heart full of stories, tales of the food he discovered, the people he met, and the wild times running off-base with some nurses that made for memories of a lifetime.

When Sam came to Washington State, he decided to put down roots and grow his family. He built a career in high-end construction in Seattle, earning a reputation for his quality craftsmanship. As founder of Sullivan Builders, Sam and his team considered themselves “artists, using concrete, wood and steel... each job being its own form of lasting art.” Sullivan Builders specialized in smaller, complex projects, working almost exclusively with professional clients who wanted to be deeply involved in the process and retain the flexibility to shape their vision along the way.

He loved the outdoors, he summited Mount Baker and skied every chance he got, including over the holidays. He was a member of The Mountaineers Lodge for many years and participated in a program bringing young people hiking and camping. His love of the outdoors passed to all of his children.

Sam never missed an excuse for a laugh. Newspaper clippings of the funnies greeted many birthday cards, and his sense of humor was a gift he gave freely to everyone around him.

In retirement he pursued his passion for aviation and was working on a plane wing at the time of his passing, doing what he loved until the very end.

Sam was a man of deep and quiet faith. A Christian at heart, he felt at home in any house of God he walked into and carried that warmth with him everywhere he went.

Those who knew Sam understood that his heart had room for everyone.

He leaves behind his son Nate, two daughters Zoe and Tehya and two granddaughters Jade and Esther, but his love went far beyond his own family. He was a father to many young people who needed one, offering his presence and his wisdom or just a quiet place to be. He is held close by the sprawling Sullivan family, by those who still carry his voice within them, and even the local animals who would find a friend in him.

And yet, for all the lives he touched, it was in the quiet moments with those closest to him that Sam was most himself. He celebrated his final birthday surrounded by his two daughters, a gift that his family will treasure always.

Please share memories & photos of Sam on the guesbook, located below. 

Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home ~ Seattle, Washington