Amphitheater High School, Class of 1962

 

Elsie “Curly” Sullivan, English Teacher

"Curly" Elsie Mitchell Sullivan Born in Richmond, Virginia February 4, 1918, she was given the name Helen Bruce Mitchell. Her mother, Elsie Gilliam Mitchell, died shortly after giving birth. Raised by her aunts, while her father, Rev. Perry L. Mitchell, a Naval Chaplain was deployed at sea, her "aunties" referred to her as "Elsie's girl" and the name stuck. Later she was brought up in Arlington, Virginia by her father and her stepmother, Gertrude. Sometime before she graduated from college, she became known as Curly. After graduating in 1938 from the University of Richmond, Curly began her career as a junior high English teacher in Arlington, Virginia.

 

In 1942 she married Lt. John P. Sullivan at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas. Later in the same year, John developed a chronic respiratory illness, so upon the advice of his doctors, John and Curly moved to Tucson, Arizona where he later became an attorney and she taught at Amphitheater High School and Canyon del Oro High School until 1980 when she retired. She continued to work two days a week on English curriculum at Amphi Alternative School until 2003 (when she was 85). During those 60+ years, Curly taught English to literally thousands of Amphi students at all levels. She loved literature, especially British literature, but her forte was English grammar. She was probably the last of the grammarians, and there was not a sentence ever written that her students could not diagram.

 

She was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma, education sorority. Despite suffering from short-term memory loss, she continued to be a skillful and enthusiastic bridge player. Curly died May 10, 2010. Preceded in death by her husband, John, and by her parents and two brothers. She is survived by son, Terry (Margo) of Tucson, formerly of New Milford, CT, and three grandchildren, Sarah, John and Tim; son, Tim (Kate) of Walla Walla, WA and grandchild, Jacob and daughter, Susan Juric (Tom) of Tucson and grandchild, Brad. A Celebration of Curly's life will be held at Casas Adobes Congregational Church, 6801 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, Arizona 85704 at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Memorials in Curly's name may be made to the church or Delta Kappa Gamma scholarship fund. At her request, her ashes will be scattered to the wind.

 

Published in the Tucson Newspapers on May 21, 2010