Harriet Maria Sullivan

Haije Sullivan, age 72, died on December 27, 2023 at the Collins House Hospice in Franklin. Her husband, Gerald, was with her at the end. She leaves behind her husband, Gerald Sullivan of Guys Mills and a sister Hannele Herlevi and a brother Simo Liuha in Finland along with 3 nieces and a nephew there. Haije was born in Helsinki, Finland and emigrated to America in 1976. A year later, on a summer Sunday afternoon, she entered the life of Gerald Sullivan and immediately and forever changed his life. They married in 1981 in Conshohocken. Pa. Haije worked as a bookkeeper and, upon earning an accounting degree from Edinboro University (summa cum laude) in 1986, she worked approximately 20 years as an accountant at Women's Services, Inc. in Meadville. She became a U.S. citizen in 2012--passing the citizenship test that most native-born Americans would fail. She loved to read science fiction novels on her Kindle. She was a prolific and outstanding abstract painter. She was an expert Scrabble player who consistently defeated her husband by wide margins. She loved her dog, Reni. She enjoyed watching her shows on Netflix and Hulu on her computer which she learned to navigate pretty well. She savored her daily nap because "a little nap never hurt anybody." To describe Haije as positive, kind, empathetic, and always having a genuine smile would be an understatement. She was so much more. The people who knew her know what we are talking about here. She didn't have a mean thought for anyone. She first experienced serious health problems in 2013 and over the years, particularly in the past 6 months, such problems significantly worsened. She never complained. She persevered. Her determination and courage were what the Finns call "Sisu." She loved her friends Pei-Liang Chang, Michael Keeley, Judith Falvey, Eija Paunila, and Hannele Bjorklund. To her husband Gerald, she was his "angel." Gerald was her "honey bunch" and "sweetie." Haije loved her Gerald and he loved his Haije. Nothing here can accurately portray just how beautiful she was. The grief over losing her is only lessened by the knowledge that she is not suffering anymore. God bless our Haije. There will be no public services. Arrangements are under the care of the Ryan M. Warren Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc, 33353 N. Main Street, Townville, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations for the Collins House Hospice can be sent to the Venango VNA Foundation, 491 Allegheny Blvd., Franklin, PA 16323. Please take a moment to share a memory or condolence with the family on Haije's Book of Memories online at www.WarrenFH.com.