Memorial service – Robert F. Rueger

COLEBROOK — James Lawrence Sullivan was born on Feb. 18, 1936, in Winsted, Connecticut, to John Sullivan, who immigrated from England, and Emma Isabelle Sullivan, who immigrated from Canada. James was a first-generation American who carried his family roots with pride. He grew up alongside his brother, John Sullivan, and went on to build a life that reflected the values of hard work, independence, and family.

James attended Oliver Wolcott School and proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958. After completing his military service, he began his career with C. H. Nickerson Construction Company, where he worked as a foreman. A tough, hardworking carpenter by trade, James was a skilled craftsman who took great pride in working with his hands. He was never one to sit still and always seemed to have another project going. He could build just about anything, and perhaps his greatest accomplishment was building his own home from the ground up in Colebrook, Connecticut. That home became more than a structure; it became the heart of his family’s memories and a lasting part of his legacy.

Mike Citrin of Ancramdale, New York, passed away on August 9, 2026. Many in our community knew him as a friend and a man of uncommon virtue. I knew Mike as his physical therapist of many years, and he was one of the most remarkable and heroic persons I will ever meet.

Mike developed Parkinson’s disease more that 30 years ago. A few years back, he lost all his strength and mobility, coming close to death. Deciding he needed to get out of the clinic and back into nature, we turned to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. There, he regained his ability to walk and found another chance at life. Remarkably, at age 80, he recovered such stamina with his walking aid that he eventually could outlast me on the trail.