Art Sullivan taught eighth-grade social studies in Summit School District 104 from 1972 to 2012 and coached track at Argo Community High School for more than three decades. Plenty of people in Summit simply called him Coach.
Sullivan, 77, a lifelong Summit resident and former village trustee, died Thursday, Oct. 22. He was appointed to the Summit Board of Trustees in 2016, elected in 2017 and served until 2023.
Mayor Sergio Rodriguez said he appointed Sullivan after the death of Trustee Tyrone Modiest, who died in 2015, according to the village.
“He was all about the community and impacted many lives,” Rodriguez said. “Quiet, humble, and proud of his community, that was Coach Sullivan.”
Sullivan grew up in Summit and graduated from Graves Junior High and Argo Community High School, according to the village. Rodriguez said Sullivan’s success as an athlete at Argo earned him a college scholarship.
He studied sociology and history at Eastern Washington State and worked seasonal jobs at Argo Corn Products throughout college, the village said. After graduating, he came back to Summit to raise a family and teach.
He and his late wife raised their three children in the village.
Sullivan taught on the same campus where he went to junior high. Graves Junior High and Heritage Middle School share the Summit School District 104 campus.
Beyond the classroom, Sullivan mentored and coached sixth- through eighth-grade basketball in the district. He also volunteered as an assistant track coach at Argo for more than 30 years, retiring from that post in 2018.
Eva Manzke, a retired District 104 teacher and the current head girls track coach at Argo, said she and Sullivan coached together for more than 20 years. He coached her first.
“He was also my coach in high school,” Manzke said.
Argo’s indoor meet, the Arthur Sullivan Invitational, carries his name.
“He was one of the most knowledgeable and kindest coaches that I have coached with,” Manzke said. “He helped many girls achieve their goals of state and college running.”
She compared him to Bedford Park Mayor David Brady, a retired Argo teacher and coach.
“His dedication to the community was similar to that of Dave Brady,” Manzke said.
She said the number of alumni sending condolences since his death has been unprecedented.
Sullivan was a lifetime member of the Old Timers Softball Club in Argo-Summit.
Services are pending.
