Margaret “Frankie” Sullivan departed this life on December 10, 2024, aged 89. Her memorial
service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements are through
Shawn Chapman Funeral Home in Chatsworth.

Margaret was born July 18, 1935 in Johnson City, Tennessee, to Frank and Mara Manning. After
the death of her father, her mother married Louis Auer. She was preceded in death by her
parents, her brother Mickey Auer, her sister Mavis, and her husband of 53 years, Captain Eugene
“Gene” Joseph Sullivan, Jr.. She is survived by two children, Eugene “Gino” Joseph Sullivan III
of Beverly Hills and Leslie Harrelson of Dalton, Georgia; daughter-in-law Victoria Brynner
Sullivan and son-in-law Kent Harrelson; three grandchildren, John Harrelson, Eugene Joseph
Sullivan IV, and Isabella Brynner; and nieces Leslie Nassios and Julie Gautreaux of Knoxville.

After graduating from East Tennessee State University, Margaret joined the Navy in 1959, where
she met and married Gene. During Gene’s 32-year career as a naval officer, Margaret raised their
two children, Gino and Leslie, while pursuing her own career as a legal secretary for the Marriott
Corporation. During Gene’s early years in the Navy, the family lived on the island of Guam and
then London before settling in Rockville.

Margaret and Gene were members for many years of Christ Episcopal Church in Rockville,
Maryland. After Gene’s passing in 2018, she moved to Dalton to be closer to family. At the time
of her passing she had been cared for by Chatsworth Health.

Margaret was an avid reader who loved talking about books, music, and ideas. She particularly
enjoyed The Cherry Orchard, The Twelve Chairs, The Brothers Karamazov, and Anna Karenina.
From the 1950s, she was an avid fan of science fiction and later a devoted Trekkie. She also
loved all Westerns, especially The Three Godfathers, A Fistful of Dollars, and Unforgiven.
Her favorite songs were “A Bicycle Built for Two,” “Back in the Saddle Again,” and “Casta
Diva” from Bellini’s opera Norma.

She loved to travel. As a young naval officer, before her marriage, she traveled widely in Asia,
including Hong Kong and rural Japan. Later, as a Navy wife in London, she traveled to Belgium,
Paris, and the south of France. Margaret loved the mountains of East Tennessee and her family in
Mountain City. Wherever she traveled, she carried the mountains with her.

At the end of her life, she loved talking about her family and rewatching The Waltons, which
reminded her of home. She loved yoga cornbread, and all kinds of ice cream. Margaret was a
much-loved wife and mother. She will be remembered for her intelligence, her bravery, and her
strong sense of honor. She loved being an American and was proud of her own military service
as well as Gene’s.

Arrangements are made with integrity by Shawn Chapman Funeral Home, Crematory, and Monuments