Maurice Joseph Sullivan, III, M. D.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Church for Maurice Joseph Sullivan, III, M. D., 79, who passed away at Hospice of Acadiana’s Calcutta House on March 3, 2025. Reverend Steve LeBlanc will be Celebrant of the Mass and will conduct the funeral services. The burial will take place in Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery. Dr. Sullivan, a resident of Lafayette, was born on July 12, 1945, to F.B. King Sullivan and Beulah Gertrude McElhenney at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He is survived by sisters Mary Patricia Stiefer of Rohnert Park, California and Sally King of Dallas, Texas, son Gerald Laurich, grandson Jeremy Laurich, granddaughter Emily Laurich Richard (Ross), and great grandchildren Nicolas Laurich and Ella and Evie Richard. He is preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Nancy Sullivan. Maurice also leaves an extended family of five nieces and nephews, sixteen cousins from his father’s Houston family and three from his mother’s South Carolina family. Following the end of WWII after his father’s Army service ended Maurice’s parents returned to his father’s hometown of Houston. Maurice started elementary school at Holy Ghost School in nearby Bellaire, Texas. An offshore petroleum engineer, Maurice’s father was transferred to Lafourche Parish in Louisiana in 1952. The family lived in Lockport and Raceland. Maurice attended Holy Savior Elementary and Holy Savior High School in Lockport. After the oil business brought the family to Lafayette in 1961, Maurice attended Cathedral High School and graduated in 1963. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Pre-Med from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1967 followed by an M.D. from Louisiana State University in 1971. Maurice served his country in the Army Reserve and attained the rank of Captain. Following internship and residencies at Charity Hospitals in New Orleans and Lafayette, Maurice entered private practice as an internal medicine specialist eventually becoming a senior partner in a small practice. He was on the staff of Lafayette General Medical Center from 1976 until his retirement in 2012. His hospital service included acting as Chief of Staff, General Medical Department, and Medical Director. He served continually on committees aimed at improving patient care and health care processes. Generations of patients were grateful recipients of his excellent and compassionate medical care. Maurice found an early passion for sailing, starting with racing Hobie Cats and then Flying Scotts with his son, Gerald locally and across the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida where they won their share of regattas. He later enjoyed a larger sailboat he kept at Cypremort Point for weekends and more regattas. He soon became an accomplished scuba diver and took diving cruises with friends to the Virgin Islands and The Bahamas. Planning for his retirement, Maurice and his son Gerald acquired and outfitted a deep-water cruising sailboat and sailed from the West Coast of Florida to the Bahamas every winter and spring through 2019. RV land cruising through National Parks during the pandemic years was an unexpected later life adventure he took with his son and friends. The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Delhomme Funeral Home of Lafayette on Friday, March 7, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A rosary will be prayed at 6:30 PM on Friday evening in the funeral home. Visiting hours will continue Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 9:00 AM until the time of service. The pallbearers will be Jeremy Laurich, David Atkinson, Ross Richard, Kevin Swan, and Steven Swan. The family would like to thank the staff of Hospice of Acadiana’s Calcutta House for their compassionate care during his final days. Personal condolences may be sent to the Sullivan family at: www.delhommefuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Catholic Charities of Acadiana’s St. Joseph Diner. Maurice Joseph Sullivan, III, M. D. and his family were cared for and entrusted final arrangements to Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA.

Maurice Joseph Sullivan, III, M. D.

July 12, 1945 - March 3, 2025