James Bernard Sullivan, son of John Bernard and Grace (McKeever) Sullivan, was born February 21, 1934 at the family farm in Edgar County. He married Carol Ann (Curran) Sullivan on December 28, 1963 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Marshall, Illinois. On January 3, 2019, Jim died in the house where he was born.

Jim attended the Golden Rule one-room-schoolhouse in Shiloh Township and St. Mary's Catholic grade school in Paris, Illinois. He attended boarding school at St. Bede Academy in Peru, Illinois, where he was a charter member of the National Honor Society, inducted in 1949. He completed high school at St. Bede in 1952, graduated from the St. Bede junior college and entered the monastery in 1954. Jim chose not to take vows and left St. Bede in 1955.

Jim served in the United States Army from June 1956 to April 1958 before returning to the family farm. While farming, his other work included serving in the National Guard from 1958 to 1960, working at the Edgar County ASCS office and the Edgar County Bank and Trust, and serving as the Edgar County Sheriff. Jim retired from farming in 1996 and worked for more than a dozen years at Ray's Super Service Station in Paris.

Some of Jim's community activities included serving on school board for Shiloh in Hume; the Edgar County Board, where he was elected Chairman of the Board a record five times in a row; the Edgar County Board of Review; the 14-County Job Training Committee; the Edgar County Human Resources Board , serving as President from 1998-2012; and serving as a Commissioner for the Shiloh Special Drainage District from 1971-2018.

Jim was a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Brocton from his birth until the church closed in 1995. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Paris from 1995 until his death.

Jim is survived by Carol, his wife of 55 years; their five children: Jude Sullivan (Caroll Stacklin) of Lisle, IL; Paul Sullivan (Colleen) of Northridge, CA; Maureen Sullivan Weier (Michael Weier) of Greenwood, IN; Matthew Sullivan (Nichole) of Paris, IL; and Ramona Sullivan (Anthony Ortega) of Savoy, IL. Jim is also survived by 16 grandchildren, 2 step-grandsons, and 1 step-great-granddaughter, and he is survived by his brother, John Sullivan. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Mary Jane Rhodes, and his son-in-law, Lionel Williams.

The Rosary will be recited at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 6, 2019 in Stewart and Carroll Funeral Home with visitation from 2:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 7, 2019 at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery with Military Honors provided by American Legion Post 211.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Mary's Cemetery in Paris, Illinois or the Eastern Illinois Foodbank in Urbana, Illinois. For further information and online condolences, please visit www.stewartandcarrollfuneralhome.com .