Florine M. Sullivan

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in St. Cloud, MN, for Florine Margaret Sullivan. Mass will be held at 10:30 am with a visitation one hour prior at the church. Rev. Jeremy Ploof will officiate. Private Burial will be held at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery, Little Falls.
Florine Margaret Sullivan, 89, a dedicated nurse, educator, and beloved matriarch, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2025, leaving behind a profound legacy of compassion and service. She is survived by her loving husband, Tom, and their four cherished children.
Born on November 9, 1936, her journey into a life of caring began in 1954 upon her graduation from St. Agnes School, St. Paul, MN. Throughout her years growing up in St. Paul she was a faithful member of Holy Spirit Church Choir. Driven by a calling to serve, she enrolled at the Ancker Hospital’s Training School for Nurses in St. Paul from 1954 to 1957, spending her first year at St. Kate’s and earning a 3-year diploma. She continued her education at the University of Minnesota, earning a BSNEd in Education with a minor in psychiatric nursing in 1957. She married her lifelong partner, Tom in 1961.
Her professional life was marked by a deep commitment to both her patients and her students. In 1960, she took on the role of Supervisor of Education at Fergus Falls State Hospital. Her pursuit of knowledge led her to Syracuse University in New York in 1962, where she entered a Master’s program and served as a teaching assistant in psychiatric nursing.
In 1964, she and Tom moved to St. Cloud, MN, where they built their life, raised their four children, and were lifelong members of the St. Peter’s parish. Her dedication to nursing education flourished in her new community. From 1965 to 1969, she taught in the St. Cloud Hospital Nursing program. In 1971, she began teaching psychiatric nursing at the St. Cloud Technical College, guiding students during their clinical work at the VA Hospital and also lending her expertise to a preschool screening team. That same year, she demonstrated her profound commitment to community welfare by founding the St. Cloud chapter of Birthright, a support organization serving pregnant girls and women.
In her spare time she enjoyed reading, painting, chatting over coffee with friends and traveling throughout the country with Tom.
Florine’s life was a testament to her unwavering belief in care, education, and family. Her warmth, intelligence, and gentle spirit touched countless lives, from the students she mentored to the family she adored. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 64 years, Tom, her four children; Karyn (Art) Colombo, Brian (Ashley) Sullivan, Dan Sullivan, Amy (Serguei) Pakhomov, as well as her beloved grandchildren, Grace, Matthew, Ruth, Josh, Owen; her brother, Richard Bauer; sisters, Judith Rowe and Patricia Kendall; many nieces and nephews and all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Florine was preceded in death by her mother Margaret Bauer, father Florian Bauer, sisters Lois Sandquist and Phyllis Crosby, and brothers William Bauer and David Bauer.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Quiet Oaks Hospice House in St. Cloud, MN.