Nola de Jong Sullivan Obituary (1924

Nola de Jong Sullivan, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at home in the arms of her husband, Clyde, on August 2, 2015. They shared 71 fulfilling years living and growing together. Born November 3, 1924 in Salt Lake City, UT to Rosabelle Winegar and Gerrit de Jong Jr., founding dean of BYU’s College of Fine Arts, Nola enjoyed a rich childhood in Provo surrounded by music, art, and opportunities to learn. She married her sweetheart, Dr. Clyde E. Sullivan, May 1, 1944 in the Salt Lake Temple. They lived in California, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, before returning to Utah to be “hands-on grandparents”. Passionate and artistic, Nola loved watercolor painting and dancing. She taught watercolor classes for many years, and she found great satisfaction in teaching art to adults and children. With a flair for finding the spice of life she helped those who were disabled, sick, or struggling to see and express the beauty of life. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren loved visiting her home and running to her art studio to create their own masterpieces. Nola encouraged everyone to be artists in their own right. Nola loved her family and was proud of both her ancestors and her descendants. One of her grandsons coined the nickname GraNola for her, and the name stuck for decades. Deeply proud of her Dutch heritage, Nola decorated her home in blue and came to be known among her great-grandchildren as “the blue grandma”. A life-long love of dance, over the years, benefited thousands as Nola and Clyde taught them to not only dance but love life. A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she fulfilled many callings as a teacher. She and Clyde jointly served an addiction recovery mission. Nola is survived by her husband, Clyde; two children (and their spouses): Michael (Christine) Sullivan and Kim (Craig) Stevens. She was preceded in death by her son, Noel (survived by wife Sara Henderson). Nola and Clyde have 9 grandchildren: Steven (Amy) Sullivan, Cameron (Rachel) Sullivan, Amy (Aaron) McAllister, Mark (Mindy) Sullivan, Karen Sullivan, Matt (Madison) Stevens, Kathleen Stevens, Mason (Sasha) Sullivan, and Andrew (Kirsen) Sullivan; 11 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Carma Anderson and her sister by affection, Jean Char Gong. A sister, Belle Van Wagenen preceded her in death. Services will be held Friday, August 7, 2015 from 11-noon, at the Rock Canyon LDS Chapel, 3050 North Mojave Lane, Provo, Utah. A viewing will be held from 9:30-10:45am prior to services. Interment will be at the Provo City Cemetery at 12:30. Condolences may be extended to the family at www.bergmortuary.com.