Funeral services celebrating the life of Mr. Kenneth Gene Sullivan, 80, will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, at Unity Baptist Church, Cotton Valley, with Bro. Gene Gibson and Bro. Prentice McGee officiating. Interment will follow in Cotton Valley Cemetery, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Cotton Valley.
Visitation will be held from 5 until 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3, 2014, at Unity Baptist Church in Cotton Valley.
Gene was born on Oct. 9, 1933, the youngest son, to Joe and Annie Sullivan in Cotton Valley, and passed away Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014.
After serving his country in the U.S. Army, he worked several years in a civil service job at the Bossier base where he met and married the love of his life, Sue Slack Sullivan, who grew up five miles from him, although they had never met. When the base closed, they returned to Cotton Valley and he began a 34 year career with Marathon Oil.
Here they started their family. Their home later became a favorite gathering place for children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Gene served as a deacon in both First Baptist, Cotton Valley and Unity Baptist, where he actively served until his health declined.
He is survived by his wife, Sue Slack Sullivan; son, Tim Sullivan and wife, Marla; daughter, Kristi Pilkinton and husband, Lawrence; nine grandchildren, Caleb Jones and wife, Stephanie, Cody Jones, Shauna Brown and husband, Jason, Misty Couch and husband, Zach, Savanna Sullivan and husband, Jeffery, Bobby Webster, Christiana Pilkinton, Michael Pilkinton and Josh Pilkinton; six great-grandchildren, Hannah, Tyler, Brynlee, Charleigh Sue, Clayton and Presley; sister, Lillie Baker; brother, Wayne Sullivan; and sister-in-law, Doris Jean Sullivan; sister and brother-in-law, Nell and Jack Bice and Frank and Juanita Slack.
Mr. Sullivan was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, W. R. Sullivan and Dean Sullivan; and sister, Verbie Sullivan.
Pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be Donald Ray Perkins, James Holtzclaw, W.J. Johnston, John Stokes, Dean Cox and Robert Coleman.
Sign the online guest book at www.baileyfuneralhome.net.