Family And Friends Mourn Young Doctor From Ridgewood Who Battled Cancer

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Dr. Sheila Marie Sullivan, who grew up in Ridgewood, accomplished much in her five decades of life, in not just the sciences, but the arts as well.

She joined the Peace Corps and taught English to medical school students in Morocco.

She tutored blind students.

Then, she worked for the Veteran's Administration, after finishing her residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City.

But she succumbed to ovarian cancer on Sept. 13, 2023, in Barnegat Light, NJ.

"Our family is profoundly saddened by the far-too-early loss of Sheila," her obituary notes. "She was a devoted daughter, an unfailingly loyal sister and sister-in-law, and an always-there-for-your-important-moments aunt."

Sullivan was born in 1970 in Hackensack, according to the obituary.

In Ridgewood, she attended Willard Elementary School, George Washington Junior High School, and graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1988.

According to her obituary, she received her B.A. in English Literature from Ohio University in 1992
and earned her Doctor of Medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland in 2007.

But at the same time, "Sheila’s creativity and artistic flair were ever-present," the obit notes. "As a child, she assumed the stage name Sandy Harbor and recorded cassette-tape talk shows, interviewing imaginary celebrities from all walks of life."

She went on to draw, cook, knit, travel, and practice her French.

The family asked mourners to consider donating to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Sheila’s name, http://danafarber.jimmyfund.or..., or the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, via Catherine’s NYC marathon charity: https://diy.ocrahope.org/cathe... .

"It was of the utmost importance to her that others might in some way benefit from her illness," wrote the family. "She and our family are infinitely grateful to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for including her in a clinical trial."

Read the full obituary here.