- Date Of Birth: April 4, 1935
- Date Of Death: November 29, 2015
- State: Texas
Hugh Marshall Sullivan, April 4, 1935 – November 29, 2015.
Coach Hugh Marshall (Sonny) Sullivan, 80, of Belton. Coach Sullivan died Sunday, November 29, 2015 at his home after a long and courageous fight against cancer. He was surrounded by his beloved family.
Hugh was born on April 4, 1935 in Archer City, Texas to Charlie Marshall and Artie Estelle Sullivan. He played football, basketball, ran track and graduated from Archer City High School in 1954. As a junior he set a record in the long jump of 22’8″ at an open track meet in Graham, TX, which included teams from Ft. Worth, Dallas and Wichita Falls and that record stood until sometime in the mid 70’s. Following graduation he was selected to play in the Greenbelt Bowl Football Game in Childress, TX and in the Oil Bowl Game in Wichita Falls. Hugh was offered football scholarships to West Texas State, TCU and North Texas State but selected North Texas State in Denton because the scholarship included both football and track.
The track team excelled and competed with colleges all over the state and at one meet Hugh out ran Bobby Murrow in the 100 yard dash. A few years later Bobby Murrow won 3 gold metals in the Olympics. At a college meet between A&M, Abilene Christian, SMU and North Texas, Hugh won 1st place in the 100 yd dash, 1st place in the 220 and 1st place in the Long Jump. After graduating in 1958 Hugh began a coaching and teaching career which covered 38 years and led him to Belton in 1967 as assistant football and assistant track coach for Jack Meredith. During those years they went 7 years without losing a home game and went to the play offs 10 times.
Hugh met the love of his life, Jo Ann Miller, at the wedding of his sister, Cissy, to Jo Ann’s brother, Duane, on June 1, 1957. They were married on November 28, 1957, at the First Baptist Church in Pampa, Texas. The couple was blessed with 3 children, Timothy Marshall Sullivan, Kimbra Ann Sullivan Boren and Charlie Craig Sullivan all of Belton. In 1978 Hugh became the head coach and athletic director of Belton High School. During his tenure he started the boys and girls soccer teams, started the girl’s basketball program, organized the first BHS swimming program which used the pool at UMHB, started the first girls’ softball and the first girls’ golf teams, improved the weight program for football and started the weight programs for the basketball and volleyball programs. Before the second Jr High was built, Coach Sullivan and Coach Brooks split the Belton Junior High athletic teams into North and South so the many students out for athletics could participate. Coach Sullivan’s 1978 Tiger football team not only won the district championship, winning 10 games in a row, but they only allowed opposing teams to score a total of only 10 points against them for the entire season.
Coach Sullivan had a huge part in molding and shaping many young men’s lives. He loved them all. He treasured every letter, call, email and all the expressions of thanks and love he has received over the years and after his retirement in 1998. He leaves with them the best example and lessons for life that he could give. Hugh loved and was thankful to God, the source of his countless blessings, his strength and his joy, He was a long time member of The First Baptist Church of Belton, a member of a great Sunday school class who was faithful to support him, encourage him and pray for him as did a men’s bible study group called Iron Sharpening Iron for men of all ages. He was a lifetime member of The Texas High School Coaches Association. Hugh loved being with his family and taking family vacations, he loved gardening and sharing what he produced with others, he was an avid fisherman and a founding member of the Belton Bass Club.
Survivors include his wife Jo Ann, their children Timothy and his wife Renee, Kimbra and her husband Jeff, Craig and his wife Debbie, 11 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, 3 sisters Pat Barnard of Arlington, Ann Meredith of Round Rock and Cissy Miller and husband Duane of Belton; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. Last but not least a special thank you to Dr. Steve Ruiz and Assistant Physician Michelle Faulkner of Scott and White.
