Sunday, January 19, 2025
Suzanne Murphy Sullivan has been named the grand marshal of the 2025 Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade, which will take place on March 22 at noon.
“I am proud of my Irish Catholic heritage and to be chosen to the Grand Marshal of the best St. Patrick’s parade around is truly a great honor,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan, 55, is a third-generation Rockville Centre native and former village trustee. She first joined the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee in 2006, during her time in village office, and would continue to serve on the board of directors over several years.
“I have seen firsthand how dedicated the members of the committee are to not only organizing a parade that everyone can enjoy, but also in raising funds for worthy charities,” she said. “When I look at the names of the parade’s previous grand marshals, it really is quite humbling to take my place among them.”
She grew up in the village with her five brothers — Ed, Patrick, John, James, and Christopher — where she attended Jennie E. Hewitt Elementary School, St. Agnes Cathedral School and the Sacred Heart Academy, before going on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Manhattan College, double majoring in government and politics and urban affairs.
During her college years, Sullivan was active in student government and served as captain of the 1990-91 women’s swim team.
She also met her future husband, Rob Sullivan, who she married in October 1995 at St. Agnes Cathedral. Together she and Robert had three children — Robert Jr., Caitlin, and Patrick.
After working at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette as an assistant vice president in equity capital markets, Sullivan left the corporate world in 1999 to focus on raising her family.
Her husband was working as an electrical engineer, when he was assigned to help restore communications to lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Robert was later diagnosed with cancer in 2011, and after a six-and-a-half-year battle with Stage IV colon cancer, he died in May 2016.
His legacy lives on through the work of “the Friends of Rob Sullivan blood drive,” which has collected more than 2,000 units of blood for the New York Blood Center since its inception in 2010.
Suzanne Sullivan has served as director of Community Development for the Village of Rockville Centre since 2017, managing approximately $40 million in grant funding for projects including Mr. B’s inclusive playground, the Living with the Bay initiative, upgrades to local parks and community centers, and improvements to the fire and police departments.
A longtime member of the St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, Sullivan held numerous roles, including former parade manager and director emeritus of the parade’s board of directors.
She is also a past president of the St. Agnes Mothers’ Club and has been involved in community initiatives, including post-Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, coaching sports teams, and organizing Swim Across America events.
“Suzanne truly embodies the spirit of our parade, and no one knows better than she does what makes it so special,” Jackie Kerr, president of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, said. “We were all delighted when she accepted this honor, as she is the true sunshine of our parade this year.”
Since the parade’s debut in 1997, it raised more than $1.8 million for charitable organizations, living up to its slogan as “the parade that cares and shares.”
This year’s parade will raise money for three charities — SIBSPlace, the Remember Nolan Project, and the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
SIBSPlace assists children who have siblings with cancer or another devastating illness. It has expanded its mission to include children who have a parent with a devastating diagnosis.
The Remember Nolan Project was created by Kim and TJ Burch after the 2014 death of their son, Nolan Michael Burch, in a hazing incident while pledging a fraternity at West Virginia University. The NMB Foundation promotes anti-hazing awareness, offers scholarships, and engages with students directly.
The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust helps families repatriate the bodies of loved ones who die abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances to Ireland.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 22, rain, or shine, beginning with a morning Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral. Staging for the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m., and the parade will step off at noon from the municipal parking lot on the north side of Sunrise Highway, between North Long Beach Road and North Forest Avenue.
For more information about the charities, events, or parade details, visit RVCStPatrick.com.
