Obituary: Amy S. Sullivan

Amy Susan Sullivan (nee Pettersen), of Fogelsville, PA passed away suddenly, but peacefully, at her residence on Monday, April 16, 2012.

Born in Everett, WA on August 28, 1965, Amy was the fifth child of Peter A. & Marilyn A. Pettersen.

Her formative years in the Pacific Northwest were spent playing sports of all kinds.  She even tried to crack the little league barrier to allow girls to play baseball because she could outplay all the boys!

Amy graduated from Everett High School in 1983 where she excelled in athletics and academics. She was a multi-sport All State Athlete focusing on volleyball and basketball. In addition, Amy was the recipient of the 1983 Walsh Platt Scholar-Athlete Award. Amy was also nominated for Snohomish County, WA Sports Woman of the Year 1986.

Amy continued her academic pursuit at the University of Oregon where she received a full basketball scholarship graduating with honors and a degree in Health and Exercise Science.  Following her graduation in 1988, Amy chose to play Women's Professional Basketball for the Perth Breakers in Australia, for two years.

Upon returning to the States, Amy was hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach at the University of Oregon.  In 1990, Amy met her future husband, Brian A. Sullivan who traveled from Florida to attend the Oregon-Stanford football game.  Brian was introduced to Amy by a friend who was a member of the Oregon Football staff.  His life was changed forever after meeting his life partner. Upon relocation to Florida to be with Brian, Amy was employed as a personal trainer at P.G.A. National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  

Following their marriage over 18 years ago, Brian and Amy were truly blessed by the birth of their daughter, Summer Ann Sullivan, on December 16, 1994.  By February 1995, the family relocated with Brian’s career from West Palm Beach, FL to Fogelsville, PA.

For the past 17 years, Amy gave selflessly to be a full-time mom, the roll she considered the most valuable and rewarding aspect of her life.

Amy became an active volunteer inside and outside of the classroom at Summer’s grade school, .  In addition to being a homeroom Mom and supporting the teachers as needed, Amy loved coaching girls youth sports-soccer, volleyball and basketball. Amy started her youth coaching career in the Lehigh Valley (PA) with the South Parkland Youth Association.  In the late 1990’s Amy met Josephine (Jo) Kraft and Karen Guman and became an assistant girls CYO basketball coach at in Allentown, PA.  The STM girls won numerous District and Diocesan titles and made it to the PA Girls CYO State Tournament four times winning the title in 1998.  Amy did not forsake her home parish, St. Joseph the Worker. She proudly coached her daughter’s classmates starting with intramural basketball in kindergarten through Summer’s 8^th grade year.  Amy’s teams enjoyed tremendous growth and success in soccer, basketball and volleyball.  In 1999, Jo Kraft asked Amy to be a counselor at a local girls summer basketball Camp aptly named the Camp of Champions.  Since that time Amy has worked with Anne Snyder to continue the camp out of respect for her mentor, Jo.

She was a breast cancer survivor and through that personal challenge Amy continued to coach and she never complained, even using her experience from breast cancer in true "Amy-like" fashion, urging others to seek annual mammograms.

She radiated a beauty from within that touched all she came in contact with. She was always turning a life challenge into a life lesson.  She became a deep thinker incorporating a Zen-like philosophy into every aspect of her life. Her wisdom was apparent and flowed from her in every sentence she spoke.  "You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level." ― Eckhart Tolle 

In true Amy fashion, she spent the last month of her life working with Karen Guman to help paint the set for the Spring Musical at Central Catholic High School directed by Susan McDermott.   Two days before her untimely passing, Amy and Brian volunteered their time at the St Joseph the Worker Angel Auction to support the parish grade school.  Amy was looking forward to spending her summer working in the garden in support of the Central City Project which is aimed at supporting the less fortunate of the Allentown, PA community.

Amy was a truly amazing, thoughtful, and nurturing wife, mother, daughter and sister.  Her smile and contributions will be missed by many.

Amy was preceded in death by her father, Peter A. Pettersen and is survived by her loving husband, Brian and their loving daughter, Summer; Father- in- law,  Donald J. Sullivan and his wife Trudy of Beverly Hills, FL; Mother, Marilyn Pettersen of Everett, WA; brother, Steven Pettersen of Whidbey Island, WA, Sister, Vickie & Timothy McFerron of Federal Way, WA, Brother, Scott & Susan Pettersen of Everett, Sister, Pennie & Mark Westlund of Seattle.  Nieces and nephews, Haylee Pettersen, Jessica Pettersen, Regan Westlund, Andrew Pettersen, Tyler Pettersen, Fischer McFerron, Duncan McFerron.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, April 23, 2012 at 11:00am in , Orefield. Calling will be on Monday from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. in the church. Arrangements have been entrusted to the O’Donnell Funeral Home, Allentown, Pa. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Allentown Central Catholic High School designated to the Central City Project c/o 301 N. 4^th Street Allentown, PA 18102-3098 or to The Cat Shack c/o P.O. Box 950 Trexlertown, PA 18087.

A memorial service will also be held in Everett, WA at a date yet to be determined.