Mary Ann Sullivan

Mary Ann (Welch) Sullivan passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, at Boston Medical Center on Tuesday, March 11, 2026. Born in Boston and raised in Rockland, Massachusetts, she was the cherished daughter of the late Richard J. and Margaret E. Welch. A lifelong devout Catholic, Mary Ann graduated from Holy Family School, Archbishop Williams High School, and Stonehill College, where she earned a BA in English.

While at Stonehill, she met her beloved husband, Kevin T. Sullivan, at a local Catholic dance. They married in June 1964 and shared nearly fifty years together before his passing. Mary Ann embraced life with enthusiasm as a devoted mother and grandmother. She served as a Girl Scout cookie chairman, softball coach, Lions Club variety show performer, and CCD teacher, while offering tireless support at countless games, recitals, and plays. In East Bridgewater, she and Kevin built a warm community of lifelong friends while raising their family.

Mary Ann returned to the workforce after raising her children, bringing her quick mind, friendly nature, and love of dressing for the day to roles at the Whitman Foundry, Leisurewoods, and MBA Insurance. She delighted in playing bocce, mahjong, cards of any kind, and solving crossword puzzles, and she remained the vibrant center of fun and warmth among her many friends. She cherished summers at the beach in Pocasset and winters on the golf course at Heritage Palms in Fort Myers, Florida.

She is survived by her four children, Barbara Lovell and her husband John, Susan Drea and her husband Richard, Kevin Sullivan and his wife Emily, and Jim Sullivan and his husband John Porcaro; her grandchildren Molly, Danny, Katie, Stephanie, Zachary, Colin, and Steven; and her great-grandson John V. Lovell. She is also survived by her brother Richard Welch and his wife Rose Marie, their son Michael of Billerica, and countless nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews from the Sullivan and Welch families. Mary Ann’s gentle encouragement—that one need not be the best, only try, and that it would be good to socialize—helped her loved ones become their best selves. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and unwavering support, and will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched.