Tighe Sullivan, Class of 1983
Tighe Sullivan ’83, a dynamic and omnipresent member of the Colgate community, died on October 9 in a helicopter accident near Mt. Pocono, Penn.
To the world, Sullivan was co-founder of WCAS Fraser Sullivan Investment Management LLC. He held senior management positions with UBS, First Union Corp, ING-Barings, and Deutsche Bank during the course of his career. WCAS Fraser Sullivan was about to begin business with the British 3i Group Plc, with Sullivan in the lead.
To university alumni, staff, students, and Beta Theta Pi brothers, Sullivan was a stalwart exemplar of Colgate spirit.
A transfer student from Montclair State, he majored in economics and international relations but also found time to host a show on the university’s radio station, WRCU, and to take part in the Politics Club and International Relations Forum. He joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity, beginning what would become a lifelong mission to bridge the traditions of Greek life with those of the university.
As an alumnus and an alumni council member, Sullivan was a one-man mobile recruiting station. He attracted students to Colgate through his work as an admission volunteer. He became a Presidents’ Club chair, enrolling supporters in the university’s leadership giving society, and he brought classmates back to Hamilton for reunion while serving as a class gift chair.
Sullivan walked the walk. He was the lead donor behind the Beta Theta Pi Endowed Scholarship, which provides financial aid to fraternity members. He was a regular at events off campus and often returned to Hamilton to mentor Beta brothers — or any student seeking a job in finance. When Colgate reevaluated its approach to Greek life, Sullivan was an ambassador, keeping the lines of communication open between administration and alumni. His efforts and enthusiasm earned him a Maroon Citation in 2008.
In recent months, Sullivan added the role of parent to his Colgate credentials when his daughter Jessica joined the Class of 2016. He is also survived by his wife, Callie; daughter Lila; and son, Tighe.
“It is hard to imagine anyone who had more zeal for living than Tighe,” said Gary Ross ’77, vice president and dean of admission. “The only thing he loved more than squeezing every ounce out of every day was his sensational family — we all share in the Sullivan family’s loss, and each of them are in our thoughts and prayers.”