Episode 20: BONUS - Special Tribute to My Hero, My Role Model, My Grampa (5-15-2021)
In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod and New England Podcast
English - May 15, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MB - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsHistory Society & Culture setterlund in my footsteps cape cod new england travel history nostalgia lifestyle entertainment comedy Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
This is a special bonus episode of the podcast. Episode 20 falls on the 2 year anniversary of the death of my grandfather John Sullivan. I thought what better way to honor him than by sharing who he was, what he did, and why he was the person I try to be in my own life.
We start with an overview of his life. From his childhood in Fitchburg, adulthood in Brockton, and later years on Cape Cod 'Sully' was a larger than life personality with an unstoppable work ethic and dedication to my grandmother Rosemarie to whom he was married for 73 years. Whether hanging out with Rocky Marciano or teaching Cesar Romero to swim Sully was a popular figure wherever he went.
His biggest connection to Cape Cod was Sullivan's Donut Shop in Hyannis. Opened in 1975 it was a mix of two of Sully's passions, donuts and jazz music. It became a popular local hangout for anyone and everyone, so much so that the police joked that they could stakeout the establishment and whomever they were looking for would end up there eventually.
We take a Road Trip to Sully's hometown of Fitchburg, Massachusetts nestled just west of the Worcester hills. It is a city that has maintained much of the authenticity it has when growing in the late 19th century.
Finally I share exactly what it was that made my Grampa my hero and the person I try to model my life after. He was too big to fit into a traditional podcast segment so I created a smaller extra episode to make sure his importance and his story got the full treatment it deserves.
We finish off with my Grampa in his element. He sings a few bars of I Thought About You by Billie Holiday to fade us out. This was from an album he recorded in 2006 with pianist Matt Richard.
Be sure to check out my livestreams called Without A Map Friday's at 8pm on Instagram which serve as a sort of postgame show for the podcast. Find them on IGTV and YouTube after they've finished.
Helpful Links from this Episode
Listen to Episode 19 here.