Many may have come to know Joe Sullivan in his younger years as a football player and track-and-field athlete at Piedmont High School.
Many others may remember him as a longtime parishioner at Piedmont’s Corpus Christi Church. And perhaps he gained his widest local recognition as the founding owner of The Book Tree bookstore, now a Montclair fixture. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and with “Big Sky Country” roots, Sullivan moved to Oakland at a young age, ultimately becoming a valued member of many organizations and friend to many. Also greatly loved and appreciated as a husband, father, son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and godfather, Sullivan died March 1 in Grass Valley from a heart attack. He was 63.
Born Aug. 12, 1956, to William and Helen Sullivan, Joseph Michael Sullivan II was named for his grandfather. As with Berkeley near his adopted home, Ann Arbor has a worldwide reputation as a major university town. And though Joe Sullivan lived in his birthplace for only the briefest of times, he became a lifelong University of Michigan Wolverines fan while his father completed his doctorate in organic chemistry at the school.
“He might have been there three or four months, tops,” said Ryan Sullivan, Joe’s son, recalling what he had been told by his father and other family members.
Though the Michigan connection ran deep for Joe Sullivan, his family traces its roots to Anaconda, Montana, where William, Helen and family returned after William completed his studies. But the family stayed only a short time before coming to Oakland while Joe was still a toddler. By 1963, Bill Sullivan joined with Larry Gee to buy the Montclair Pharmacy, reportedly then the oldest business in the Oakland hills.
The Sullivans became the sole owners sometime in the 1970s, and as he grew, young Joe helped in the family business while attending Corpus Christi Elementary school before moving on to Piedmont High, from which he graduated in 1975. From there, Sullivan attended Carroll College in Helena, Montana, for a time but soon returned to California, where he continued to nurture a love for books.
“One of the jobs he had was working for Holden-Day Publishers in San Francisco,” Carol Sullivan said. “He was the warehouse manager.”
Other life events and types of work followed: marriage, a move to Sacramento and a stint selling insurance. Still a yen for books continued, along with a move back to the Bay Area.
“He grew up in the pharmacy business,” Carol Sullivan said of her husband, who never pursued his father’s career as a pharmacist but retained a passion for the printed word. “One side of the pharmacy was all greeting cards. At the same time, the Montclair Bookstore was going out of business, so they split the pharmacy, and (Joe) took out all the cards.”
Joe then replaced the cards with books. Thus, The Book Tree — now a longtime fixture in the community — began in 1984. Despite having a relatively small store in a business that saw many independent and even chain bookstores close, The Book Tree remained successful. A broad selection of books helped. To this day, selections include fiction, children’s literature, biographies, maps and travel guides and books covering numerous other topics. Sullivan also carried older books that major chains had dropped.
Moreover, a welcoming, hometown atmosphere continues to serve well the business, which Sullivan sold to present owner David Hartsough, a former employee, before moving to Grass Valley with Carol and Ryan in 2013. Like Oakland, Piedmont, Montana and Michigan, Grass Valley held a special appeal to Sullivan.
“We’ve been coming to Grass Valley close to 40 years,” Carol said. “He helped build the family home.”
Joe Sullivan had a lot going on in his life beyond work and travels. He married his high school sweetheart, the former Carol Lee Robinson, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church on June 5, 1982. Joe and Carol became parents with the birth of Ryan Michael Sullivan in October 1986. During his school years, Joe Sullivan developed a dedication to the Boy Scouts, which he carried with him as a parent. In his youth, Sullivan achieved the Order of the Arrow, all the while developing a love for the outdoors, most especially rafting and camping. Later, as a parent, he volunteered with Boy Scout Troop 6, seeing Ryan ultimately become an Eagle Scout.
Beyond the Boy Scouts, Sullivan also became steadfastly committed to organizations locally and beyond. He joined the Montclair Lions Club, even serving for a time as the chapter president. Elsewhere, he belonged to the Grizzly Riders, an organization that provides scholarships and financial support for the University of Montana. In addition, Sullivan served as a paid-call firefighter and licensed emergency medical technician for the Higgins Fire District, based in Auburn near his Grass Valley home.
In addition to Carol and Ryan, Sullivan is survived by his father, who closed the Montclair Pharmacy upon his retirement in 2012 and moved to Hall, Montana, with the purchase of a hay and cattle ranch. In addition to Montana, Bill Sullivan still lives some of the time in Piedmont.
Joe Sullivan also leaves behind his sisters, Laurice Sullivan Salamack and Mary Alice Sullivan McNeil, and their respective husbands, Joseph and Timothy. Also surviving him are siblings-in-law Margaret and Michael Prat, Jeanne Robinson, Kenny and Liz Robinson and nieces and nephews Kimberly and Jennifer Prat, Kelly Salamack Casey (Kevin), Allison Salamack Dodd-o (Joseph), PJ and Michael Robinson and William and Thomas McNeil.
Due to the current coronavirus concerns, memorial services for Joe Sullivan will be held at a future date.
“As an EMT, Joseph would not want people traveling,” Carol Sullivan said.
A private burial will take place this summer in Montana.
“He was truly loved by his family and my family,” Carol Sullivan said.