John Paul Sullivan

Jan. 8, 1926 – March 27, 2018

“Reputations last longer than lives, and fortune favors the brave.”

Those two Irish proverbs evoke thoughts of John P. Sullivan, a man of considerable accomplishments, ingenuity and compassion, who truly embodied the entrepreneurial spirit.

John Paul Sullivan passed away peacefully at the age of 92, surrounded by family in his Pacific Palisades home. John was a well-known and highly respected commercial mortgage banker in Southern California.

In addition to his mortgage banking expertise, he developed many real estate projects, including Buena Park Commerce Plaza, Sierra Point of Brisbane, California, and shopping centers throughout Oregon, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Some of his other business ventures included a commuter airline in Honolulu, Hawaii, and a private aviation fixed-base operation facility at Van Nuys Airport.

John held various national and regional industry memberships, including Mortgage Bankers Association, Southern California Mortgage Bankers Association, American Industrial Real Estate Association, Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers and Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

John was often invited to speak at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s professional lecture series, held at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and at Michigan State University.

John was born on Jan. 8, 1926, in Portland, Oregon, to Thomas William Sullivan of County Kerry, Ireland, and his wife, Marguerite Mann of La Crosse, Wisconsin. His fond boyhood memories included going crabbing and clamming on the beaches near their summer home in Gearhart, Oregon, and plucking cherries right off the tree at their home in Oregon City, Oregon.

At 18, following graduation from Columbia Preparatory School in Portland, he enlisted in the Navy during WWII. After falling ill, he was hospitalized and then released after two years of treatment. He moved to Los Angeles, enrolled at Loyola University of Los Angeles (now Loyola Marymount University) and graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

He became a California real estate broker in 1953 and learned the mortgage banking business while at Thomas Mortgage Company. In 1957, he founded and grew Keystone Mortgage Company, serving as its president until he retired 43 years later.

John was generous with time and philanthropic activities. He proudly served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Mount Saint Mary’s College (now Mount Saint Mary’s University) from 1995-99. He supported various charities that included City of Hope, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Saint John’s Health Center Foundation and American Cancer Society.

In 1986 he was honored as Man of the Year by City of Hope for his philanthropic efforts and was given a valued Leadership Award from Boy Scouts of America, Greater Los Angeles.

His Catholic faith prompted his support for St. John’s Seminary, Little Sisters of the Poor, Mount Saint Mary University, Saint Raphael’s School in South Central Los Angeles and Corpus Christi Church in Pacific Palisades, where he was an active parishioner.

John cherished fly-fishing with his sons in Montana, the Sierra Nevadas, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. He always looked forward to his annual excursions on the Rogue River for the steelhead runs.

He also loved food and wine, and held memberships in the Wine & Food Society of Hollywood and the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs. John was an active member of the Jonathan Club for nearly 50 years. As a dedicated participant in TEC (a group of like-minded small business owners), he enjoyed sharing his ideas and mentoring fellow members.

John loved his Irish roots and travel, and radiated an abundant joy of life. If he could leave a message for everyone, it would be this: “Smile and be happy and avoid people who aren’t.”

He is survived by his wife, Gail Catherine, and by his four sons from his first wife, Mary Margaret: John Thomas of Englewood, New Jersey; James Patrick of Redding, California; Mark Gregory of Los Angeles, California; and Matthew Conan of San Marino, California; by his daughters-in-law, eight grandchildren, one great-grandson, a niece, a nephew and many friends.

The family would like to thank John’s caregivers, who assisted him for the last seven years. They, and his devoted wife Gail, provided the utmost care during his final years.

Please make donations in John’s memory to any of the following: Mount Saint Mary’s University of Los Angeles (msmu.edu/giving John & Gail Sullivan Endowed Scholarship), City of Hope (cityofhope/giving.org) or Corpus Christi Church (faithdirect.net, Parish code: CA722, please note building fund).