Feb. 10, 1948 ~ Aug. 11, 2020
Joe Sullivan, 72, of beautiful downtown Winnie, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Joe was born in Hayden, Colorado, on Feb. 10, 1948, to John Francis Sullivan and Carolyn Evelyn Sullivan, and was one of four children.
Joe grew up in Meeker, Colorado, where he spent his summers on the Sullivan Ranch. He and his sister Jacque would ride his Labretta to the ranch, and she helped him with his 4-H calves. In high school, you could find Joe on a wrestling mat or learning to rope. Roping brought Joe to Texas, when he packed up his truck and horse and headed to college at Sam Houston State. He showed up at the barn with his horse and no place to live. Joe’s spontaneity often resulted in great success including meeting his future wife, Melanie, and obtaining his Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. Joe met Melanie when he sold her first pair of cowboy boots to her from Ronnie William’s Western Store. After graduation, Joe moved to Arizona to pursue a roping adventure with his brother Mike and childhood friend Jimmy Watson. Mike lived with Joe and Melanie after they were married in 1973. In 1980, Joe and Melanie moved to Utah where both his daughters, Sarah and JoLyn, were born and where Joe worked as an auctioneer at Producers Livestock. He shared a love of flying with his brother Kelly and bought an airplane to fly his young family back and forth between Utah and Colorado.
In 1985, the Sullivan family moved to Hamshire, Texas, where Joe met up with one of his college friends, Robert Lott, and began work at Lott Materials. He never lost his auctioneer skills and frequently volunteered his auctioneer services at the Hamshire Volunteer Fire Department annual barbecue and fundraiser. Later, he met fellow roper Calvin Keating and went to work at Calvin Ford, where he honed his skills as a successful salesman.
Joe and family moved to Winnie, Texas, in 1996 and built their forever home. It was here that Joe’s eclectic work history and skills culminated in the building and opening of Joe’s Beverage Barn. At the Barn, his love for people was evident. He never met a stranger. Most would say Joe would give the shirt off his back, and he has often been described as generous and kind. He was a master story teller with a quick wit and infectious humor. His love of horses and roping was lifelong, and if Joe was not at the Beverage Barn or with his family, he was likely in the roping pen.
Joe took tremendous pride in his daughters’ accomplishments and would stop everything to spend time with them. As they grew up, he did everything with them from making mud pies to teaching them to drive in a hay field. His love for children did not stop with his daughters. He welcomed many kids into his heart and friends automatically became family. He loved his nieces and nephews tremendously. He also loved his son-in-law, Luke, and spent many hours talking and shooting guns with him. When his granddaughter, Blair, arrived his world was complete. He was overjoyed to learn that Blair will soon have a sister, Elise, to play with.
Joe is survived by his wife of 46 years Melanie Rae Sullivan; children Sarah Beth Sullivan; JoLyn Sullivan Dolan and her husband Luke; granddaughter, Blair and new arrival Elise expected in October; siblings and in-laws: Jacque (Duke) Duzik, Mike (Barbara) Sullivan, Kelly (Pam) Sullivan, Ray (Pam) Martin and Fay Martin; nieces and nephews, Tim, Andi, Bradley, Joe, Casey, McKenzie, Toby, Tiffany and Hunter and many, many friends. We will all miss him dearly but he will be there to welcome us in Heaven.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents (John and Carolyn Sullivan) and in-laws (Georgie and Melvin Martin).
The family would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all those who stopped by to offer condolences and support during this time. Special thank you to Misty Williams, Rachael Nolan, Kirsti Dunn, Ryan Dietrich and Nisha Royer who are part of the Joe’s Beverage Barn Family.
A Time of Sharing will begin at 2 p.m., at Joe’s Beverage Barn, 1140 TX-124, Winnie, Texas, with a gathering of family and friends to follow until 5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. Cremation arrangements were handled through Broussard’s Crematorium, under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Ave., Beaumont.
Memorial contributions may be made to The American Heart Association, 12345 North Lamar Boulevard-Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78753 https://www.heart.org/ or to East Chambers ISD Education Foundation Partner Program, 270 School Road, Winnie, Texas 77665 https://www.ecisdef.com/donate.
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