Deborah Sullivan, 60, expertly helped the elderly

Deborah Sullivan brought a passion and concern to her profession that infected co-workers as well as the senior citizens she tried to help.

Cliff Burt saw her commitment right away. In the late 1970s, he hired her to oversee the social work department for the DeKalb Community Council on Aging, now called “Senior Connections.” Her job: Manage and oversee field social workers who assessed the aging for an array of services such as delivery of home meals.

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Deborah Sullivan, who also worked for Sunrise Assisted Living of Decatur, was a die-hard Red Sox fan.

“She was doing case management long before it was widely recognized,” said Mr. Burt, currently a caregiver specialist for the state Division of Aging Services. “She was a pioneer in the Atlanta area, not only for good social work, but in providing expert care and case management. She hired the right people, and you can move mountains when you have the right synergy, chemistry and passion. People can tell the difference and so can families.”

Ann Paul saw that same passion when she hired Ms. Sullivan as marketing director for Sunrise Assisted Living Center of Decatur. At the time, it was located in a trailer at the corner of Scott Boulevard and Clairmont Road. Providers at other Sunrise locations tapped Ms. Sullivan as their mentor.

“Corporate headquarters and the regional marketing staff would send folks to her,” said Mrs. Paul, who was the executive director of the Decatur location. “She had a passion for the mission.”

Deborah Whalen Sullivan, 60, of Atlanta, died of a suspected heart attack on May 10 at her home. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 13 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Atlanta. H.M. Patterson, Spring Hill, is in charge of arrangements.

Ms. Sullivan held a number of jobs to serve the elderly in her home state of Rhode Island and in Virginia, Alabama and Georgia. At one point, she was an exchange social worker in Paris as part of an international program to build better relationships between social workers in the United States and abroad.

She moved to Atlanta in the late 1970s. For 15 years she helped develop the social work department for Senior Connections. In 1997, Ms. Sullivan — who earned degrees from Salve Regina and Virginia Commonwealth universities — became director of sales and marketing for Sunrise Assisted Living of Decatur. She spent seven years at the center before becoming a care consultant at the Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter, which the die-hard Red Sox fan helped found years ago. She is the 1998 recipient of the Elsie Alvis Award, given to outstanding professionals by the Georgia Gerontology Society.

In 2002, Sarah Carson moved to Atlanta from New York City in search of change and opportunity. She had a background in hospice care and wanted to pursue jobs in the field of aging. Someone suggested contacting Ms. Sullivan, then a Sunrise official. A friendship was born.

“She was helpful in introducing me to people,” Mrs. Carson said, “and we developed a friendship. We just liked each other immediately.”

Mr. Burt, the state caregiver specialist, said it’s difficult to define Ms. Sullivan’s level of care and concern. All he knows is “it’s not something you can bottle up and sell.”

There are no immediate family survivors.