La Plata - Died peacefully on January 25, 2026, in La Plata, MD at the age of 92. Gene was the beloved husband of the late Loise Zanzucchi Sullivan, the loving father of John (Julie), Gregory (Rowena), Andrea (Robert), and Eugene Jeffrey (Patty), the cherished grandfather of Benjamin, Gabriel, Theodore, Miranda, Hannah, Maggie, Catherine, Adrianne, Aidan, Darby, and Mae, and the blessed great-grandfather of Quinn.

Gene was born and raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the son of the late John and Helen Cronin Sullivan. He was predeceased by his adored brothers, John Leo and Daniel (late Marian), his dear nephew Brian Sullivan, and his dear niece Maureen Sullivan Fitzgerald. Gene is survived by his beloved sister Joan (late John) Larnard, and his treasured nieces and nephews: Kathleen Larnard and Eileen (Gregg) Picillo and their families, and Kevin (Kate) O'Sullivan and Brendan (Ela) Sullivan and their families, as well as numerous very dear cousins and their children.

After graduating from Saint Anselm College and earning a master's in social work from Boston College and a Ph.D in education from Catholic University, Gene worked for the Maryland State Board of Community Colleges and, for nearly 30 years, the American Council on Education, where he specialized in matters involving adult learning and the educational credentialing of military programs.

Gene's army service ultimately took him to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., and he raised his family and lived for much of his adult life in Silver Spring, Maryland. Post-retirement, he and Loise divided their time between Newburyport and Surfside Beach, South Carolina, until Loise's death in 2008.

Gene loved the Red Sox, he loved books, he loved the movies, he loved democracy, he loved God, he loved people in all their varieties, he loved the mysteries of existence, he loved the beach, he loved the town he grew up in, he loved new places, he loved running, he loved learning, he loved writing poems, he loved his parents, he loved his brothers and sister and their children, he loved his children and their children, he loved his friends, he loved his neighbor. Most of all he deeply deeply loved Loise, his wife for more than 50 years, until the day he died. Gene left a lot of love in the world and we will miss him always.

Visitation will be held at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd. West, Silver Spring, on Saturday January 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. Burial arrangements will be private. A Celebration of Life will be held this Spring in Newburyport, MA. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Newburyport Public Library.