Sallie Sullivan died December 19, 2023 at her Borderline home in Thomasville Georgia surrounded by friends, family and her Labradors. She was 86. Born May 22, 1937 in Cleveland Ohio, she was the third child of Ralph Perkins and Katharine Haskell Perkins. She attended Hathaway Brown in Shaker Heights and The Maderia School in McLean, Virginia before completing a BA in Art at Connecticut College. While in college she met Barry Sullivan. They wed in 1959 and had two children who they raised on their farm outside Ligonier Pennsylvania.
Sallie had a lifelong passion for the natural world and all that lived in it. Friends and acquaintances brought her orphaned or injured animals to save, often successfully, creating a household full of chaos and joy. She rode competitively with her horse, Little Christian, and chased foxes with the Rolling Rock Hunt and the Live Oak Hounds. She was an excellent wing shot and never tired of time in the field. With Barry she developed a deep love for Africa that resulted in annual, weeks long visits beginning in 1966, first hunting then evolving into photographic safaris. Epic adventures ensued with many close friends and family. They bought a farm in Kenya’s Rift Valley near Lake Naivasha where they unsuccessfully grew onions. At home in Ligonier, she co-founded the Daisy, a gift shop on Main Street, which she ran with friends for decades. Sallie was in charge of the books but also employed her artistic skills designing needlepoint patterns and lighter holders.
In 1987 she moved to Borderline full time and concentrated her energies on training her labs for competition. She was a charter member of the Master National Retriever Club and competed at the highest level for 35 years with her line of labradors that began with her first lab, Cricket, in 1965, and continued through 14 generations. A trailblazer as a female handler, Sallie set a standard that may never be matched: 50 Master National Plates, roughly 1000 qualifications, 9 dogs in the MNRC Hall of Fame and practically every award known. It has been said that she is the Wayne Gretzky of her sport. In October 2023 the Master National came to Sallie, holding its annual final in Thomasville. Sallie was there to witness the work of hundreds of handlers and over a thousand dogs and the growth of the sport she helped create and define.
Sallie is survived by her daughter Kate Scovil, son Tim (Wendy) Sullivan; grandchildren Megan (Brennan) Barker, Lexi Scovil, Emmett Scovil, Audrey (David Fullmer) Sullivan, Georgia Sullivan and May Sullivan; and great grandchildren Bria Barker and Charlie Fullmer.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in Sallie’s memory can be made to Tall Timbers Research Station or the Thomasville Humane Society
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Sallie Sullivan, please visit our flower store.
Sallie had a lifelong passion for the natural world and all that lived in it. Friends and acquaintances brought her orphaned or injured animals to save, often successfully, creating a household full of chaos and joy. She rode competitively with her horse, Little Christian, and chased foxes with the Rolling Rock Hunt and the Live Oak Hounds. She was an excellent wing shot and never tired of time in the field. With Barry she developed a deep love for Africa that resulted in annual, weeks long visits beginning in 1966, first hunting then evolving into photographic safaris. Epic adventures ensued with many close friends and family. They bought a farm in Kenya’s Rift Valley near Lake Naivasha where they unsuccessfully grew onions. At home in Ligonier, she co-founded the Daisy, a gift shop on Main Street, which she ran with friends for decades. Sallie was in charge of the books but also employed her artistic skills designing needlepoint patterns and lighter holders.
In 1987 she moved to Borderline full time and concentrated her energies on training her labs for competition. She was a charter member of the Master National Retriever Club and competed at the highest level for 35 years with her line of labradors that began with her first lab, Cricket, in 1965, and continued through 14 generations. A trailblazer as a female handler, Sallie set a standard that may never be matched: 50 Master National Plates, roughly 1000 qualifications, 9 dogs in the MNRC Hall of Fame and practically every award known. It has been said that she is the Wayne Gretzky of her sport. In October 2023 the Master National came to Sallie, holding its annual final in Thomasville. Sallie was there to witness the work of hundreds of handlers and over a thousand dogs and the growth of the sport she helped create and define.
Sallie is survived by her daughter Kate Scovil, son Tim (Wendy) Sullivan; grandchildren Megan (Brennan) Barker, Lexi Scovil, Emmett Scovil, Audrey (David Fullmer) Sullivan, Georgia Sullivan and May Sullivan; and great grandchildren Bria Barker and Charlie Fullmer.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in Sallie’s memory can be made to Tall Timbers Research Station or the Thomasville Humane Society
Photo Gallery
Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors