Patrick Sully

How do I capture my husband, Patrick Osborne Sully's essence, and express just how wonderful he was? I can begin with the definition of a gentleman: a man of calm demeanor, intellectual thinking, courteous, and honorable, for these are all apt descriptions. Born January 2, 1945 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England, Patrick was educated at Mill Hill School. A naturalist by heart, he spent many a youthful hour collecting treasures like limpets clinging fast to rocks, and prize winning conkers from horse chestnut trees. At seventeen, he became a deck apprentice in the British Merchant Navy, seeking adventure on the high seas. He later attended the British Naval Academy in Plymouth, receiving the certificate for competency as Master of a foreign going ship. In 1975, he settled in the United States, always living near the sea. Employed as port captain with various international shipping companies, he ultimately retired from Safmarine, a subsidiary of Maersk. Patrick moved to Galveston, Texas in 1993. He was often seen walking his rescued dogs and helping with the neighborhood garden. Embracing his new home, he once wrote, "Standing on the front porch, I can watch a thunderstorm come over the gulf's horizon, or close my eyes and hear the surf on the nearby beach, and the wind rattling the fronds of the palm trees." He said his life truly began four years ago, when we met. Together we found a love, so rare and precious, a refuge that healed our broken hearts. We had dreamt a lifetime of finding such a love, but when we finally discovered it, we knew it was far greater than we could have imagined. We returned to his homeland after a twenty-two year absence and explored England's green hills and stood at Land's End, watching the ocean crash against the cliffs. At age 70, Patrick, the gentleman, good neighbor, and my beloved husband, passed away in our home on August 1, 2015. We thank our San Jacinto neighborhood friends, who are now like family, for their outpouring of love and support. To celebrate his rich life, I ask you to raise your glass in a toast, preferably a gin and tonic, his favorite, whilst keeping the memory of him in your heart, and to embrace each day that you have on this earth to its fullest, as did he. ~ Rosa Morgan