Obituary of Kathleen Teresa O'Sullivan

Our mother, Kathleen Teresa (Terry) O'Sullivan, passed away at age 98 on January 10 after a relatively short illness. She was one of three sisters from Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, each of whom would marry a military service member -- from the RAF, US Army Air Corps and Canadian Navy, respectively. Our Dad Tim passed away in 2011. Terry was a homemaker and beloved mother of Michael and Patrick O'Sullivan and grandmother of Christopher O'Sullivan, Thomas O'Sullivan, Sean O’Sullivan. Steven Christianson of Toronto, and the late Kathryn O'Sullivan of Los Angeles. As a newlywed, Terry worked as a telephone operator in Fort Wayne and, for many years, at Buddy Brown Toys in Studio City, and Bartell’s toys on Larchmont Blvd. She enjoyed painting and travelling. Terry was fiercely independent, and mentally sharp till the end. She was not a typical 98 year old. The word that always came up when people spoke of her, especially in her later years, was “remarkable. She retained her sharpness of mind and terrific sense of humor right to the end, and looked and acted much younger than her years. A few months ago, she was living in her house independently with help from us. She cleaned, watered the lawn and did laundry, getting around with help from her walker. She talked with family members daily on the phone, and occasionally went for lunch at El Coyote, a favorite Mexican haunt for 50 years, or breakfast at Norm’s on La Cienega. In September, she was still shopping at her favorite store, the 99 cent store on Sunset Blvd! She had been in perfect health and was on no medication but eyedrops. I think we couldn’t imagine her not being here. When we weren’t with her, we talked to her on the phone every day. Terry's sister Anne preceded her in death. In addition to her sons and grandchildren, Terry is survived by her sister Gabrielle of Victoria, BC, and a large network of cousins, relatives, and lifelong friends in England, Canada and the United States. The funeral mass will be held; 11 AM, on Feb 10th, 2023 at St. James the Less Catholic Church, 4625 Dunsmore Ave, La Crescenta, California 91214, where three of her grandchildren attended parochial school and where, with our late dad, Tim, we shared many happy memories. Reception will be 1 PM to 5 PM upstairs at Joselito’s 2345 Honolulu Ave, Montrose, CA 91020