Obituaries » JERDEAN NEAL SULLIVAN
PrintJERDEAN NEAL SULLIVAN
May 27, 1951 - November 26, 2020
Burial Date: December 5, 2020
Visitation will be held Friday December 4, 2020 at Jackson Highley Funeral Home Chapel, West Helena Arkansas from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, December 5, 2020 at Faith Outreach Church with Pastor Jim Harrison officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. Due to our Federal and State COVID-19 guidelines: Due to our Federal and State COVID-19 guidelines: during the Visitation - we will only allow individuals to view 10 at a time. Funeral Service - Please allow time and patience for COVID-19 entry process to include: mask, hand sanitizer, temperature checks, and sign-in roster with name and phone number. We will admit 75 individuals with the proper wristband. At the Cemetery - we will abide by the social distance standard of 6ft apart. Mrs. Sullivan's service may be viewed live through ZOOM. Here are the ZOOM instructions: Topic: Mrs. Jerdean Sullivan Funeral Service held at Faith Outreach, West Helena AR Time: Dec 5, 2020 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/97708043879?pwd=UGZMc2hZUE8zZzV0RzUyK05BbTREdz09 Meeting ID: 977 0804 3879 Passcode: 267280 Memorials may be sent to Jackson-Highley Funeral Home located at 126 Panama Rd. W. West Helena, AR 72390.
Jerdean Neal-Sullivan, 69, of Lexa, AR transitioned from this earthly life on the morning of November 26, 2020 in Alexander, AR.
Jerdean was born in Helena, AR to Jerry and Melvina Neal Sr. on May 27, 1951. She was the fourth of nine children. She accepted Christ as her personal savior at an early age at First Baptist Church in West Helena, AR where she served as Sunday School secretary until high school graduation. While attending high school, Jerdean became the first African American cashier at a major grocery outlet. In 1969, she graduated from Central High School. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Arkansas University in 1973, and soon began her teaching career. She worked as a teacher and Instructional Facilitator for Helena-West Helena School District for 40 years. Even after retiring from teaching in the school system, she continued to teach Children’s church at Faith Outreach.
Jerdean married Mac Sullivan on December 21, 1974. During her recent battle with cancer, Jerdean relied on her husband, and her faith in the Lord. Mac was her rock, she depended on him for her sight and for her care. His devotion and love for her is everlasting.
Jerdean’s faith was unwavering. Even though there were good days and bad days, one would not know when she was down. She remained faithful and believed that God was in control. She loved to call and check on friends and family. Her laughter was contagious. She wasn’t one to dwell on her circumstances. She was always positive and uplifting even with her loss of sight. Her love for others and her ongoing willingness to do whatever it took to fight this battle for her family showed her determination.
Jerdean never met a stranger and strived to make a difference in the lives of everyone she knew. Her love for the Lord, education and the relationships that she built will forever be cherished. She was a blessing to all in her own special way. Her life was an inspiration and her memory will serve as the foundation of her legacy.
Jerdean is preceded in death by her father, Jerry Neal Sr. and sister Florida Mae Hurst.
Jerdean is survived by her devoted husband, Mac Sullivan; three daughters: Sherese Hicks of Conway AR, Chanda (Curtis) Walker Jr. of Blytheville AR, and Tiffiny Sullivan of Alexander AR; mother, Melvina Neal of Little Rock, AR; four brothers: Jerry (JoAnn) Neal of Detroit, MI, Charlie (Brenda) Neal of Little Rock, AR, Melvin (Cynthia) Neal of Little Rock, AR, Bryant (Debbie) Neal of Wailuku, HI; three sisters, Sherry (Bill) Daniels of Carrollton, TX, Brenda (Rickey)Thomas of Little Rock, AR, and Sandra (Barry) Knowles of Orange Park, FL; five grandchildren, James Hicks Jr., Evan Hicks and Joshua Hicks of Conway, AR; Ryley Walker, and McKinley Walker of Blytheville, AR and a host of other relatives and friends.
