Darlene Sullivan

Darlene  Sullivan, age 79, of South Lyon, formerly of Northville, passed away peacefully June 26, 2016.  She was born June 24, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan; daughter of Robert and Gwendoline (nee Cottrell) Snitgen. She was united in marriage to Jermiah P. Sullivan on October 5, 1963; they spent 16 loving years together until his death on June 22, 1980. Darlene was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Northville since 1974.  She worked as a bus driver for the Northville Public Schools, retiring after 25 years.  Darlene loved all animals, especially her dog Amigo.  Over the years she cared for many rescued dogs and raised swans on her 2.5 acres in South Lyon.  One of her favorite pastimes was riding horses; in her younger years she was a trick rider and often rode in the 4th of July Parade in downtown Northville.  Recently she enjoyed trail riding on her beloved horse, Flo Blue.  Darlene was very selfless and kind; she opened her door to many people in need and often brought special needs children home from her bus route to share with them a country experience.  Darlene lived for her children and strove to provide them with experiences that sometimes took her out of her comfort zone.  She truly loved her family and cherished the memories they made.  Darlene is survived by her children, Maureen (Ryan) Richards, Kelly Pelic, Erin Colombo, and Sean (Gwendoline) Sullivan; her brother, Bob (Liz) Snitgen; and her grandchildren, Cassandra, Sarah (Mark), Kayla, Libby, Timothy, Michael, and Anna.   She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her brother Larry Snitgen. The visitation will be held Wednesday, June 29, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 W. Dunlap, Northville.  A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 10:00 a.m., in state 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 133 Orchard Dr., Northville.  Darlene will be laid to rest next to her husband at Rural Hill Cemetery in Northville.  In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate contributions to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Dr., Southfield, MI 48076, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Ste. 1509, New York, New York 10018, or Last Day Dog Rescue, P.O. Box 51935, Livonia, MI 48151