George Sullivan Retires

After 20 years of working as Scituate High School’s head custodian, George Sullivan is retiring. Mr. Sullivan is loved by all and there is not a kinder person in the school. Since October of 2000, he has been one of the faces of not just SHS, but the town as a whole.  

Before coming to Scituate High School, Mr. Sullivan worked at First National Stores and the Big Y in Braintree. Later, he went on to work at Star Market in the distribution centers. After a string of closings, Mr. Sullivan was out of a job and ready to take on a new challenge. 

Mr. Sullivan said, “The add came up for the school and it was local, so I thought I’d give it a try. My age was 45 at the time, and I was so grateful to be able to get the job.” He added, “I went through a difficult time when I lost my job, and to come here and have the level of comfort from people is just wonderful, and I will never forget it.”

A typical day at SHS for Mr. Sullivan never involves a finish-line; he constantly works to find solutions to problems. There is no end of the day until the last person leaves, which is Mr. Sullivan himself. He loves interacting with the students and is proud to see how far everyone has come in their lives. 

With an abundance of gratitude, Mr. Sullivan can’t say enough about the quality of students, teachers, and administrators at SHS. In his 20 years, he has seen an incredible amount of progress in the citizenship of the students. Referencing back to when he was a high school student, Mr. Sullivan believes students today are on a “whole other level.” 

SHS sports have been a large part of Mr. Sullivan’s SHS experience, and he can not say enough about the athletes of the town: “The compassion with special needs kids, the intelligence to understand what is right and wrong, all of you have so many great qualities, and I am just proud to be a part of it. The ability to rise above is important and not everybody can. Win, lose, or draw, you were able to cope with it just like an adult. Your parents deserve so much credit–it is crazy.”

To Mr. Sullivan, the best part about his job has been the students. According to Sullivan, when students noticed he needed help, they would immediately come over and offer to lend a hand. Parents, staff and students alike appreciate Mr. Sullivan for all his hard work. He was honored accordingly on Thursday, February 27th, during a halftime ceremony when the Scituate boys varsity basketball played against Stoughton High School. 

Mr. Sullivan said he will come back to this year’s graduation ceremony to see the kids who have made his experience at SHS memorable. Citing his love for the graduating class, Mr. Sullivan believes they are a part of his family. 

“I had a good run. I am very happy with it. I believe I did everything I could do for the town of Scituate. I will leave with a good feeling, but it was the right time for me.” 

Before he signs off for good, Mr. Sullivan wants to let everyone know they are capable of tremendous things, and “God bless to all.”