Joan O'Sullivan - Obituary

oan Louise O'Sullivan, 61, of Annapolis, died May 19 at home after a lengthy illness. The cause of death is unavailable. Born April 3, 1946, in New London, Conn., the daughter of Mary Louise Smith O'Sullivan of Waterford, Conn., and the late John David O'Sullivan, Mrs. O'Sullivan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Butler University, where earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1968. She earned a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1975. Mrs. O'Sullivan worked for the Legal Aid Bureau's Senior Citizen Law Project in Annapolis as managing attorney from 1977 to 1993. She then was a clinical law professor at the University of Maryland School of Law's Law and Health Care Program until 2002. She was the recipient of Maryland Legal Services Corporation Distinguished Service Award, Maryland Bar Foundation Award for Legal Excellence and the National Aging and Law Award. She authored The Maryland Guardianship Bench Book, Nursing Homes: What You Need to Know, Assisted Living in Maryland: What you need to know and The Guardianship Handbook: A Guide to Adult Guardianship and Guardianship Alternatives in Maryland. Her interests included roller blading, Jazzercise, dancing, the New York Times crossword puzzles, reading, the theatre, hiking, travel, biking and swimming in the ocean. In addition to her mother, surviving are one son, Gabriel Freda of Annapolis; one daughter, Colleen Freda of Annapolis; one brother, Robert O'Sullivan of Sharon, Mass.; one sister, Nancy O'Sullivan of New London, Conn. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road in Edgewater. A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Holy Family Catholic Church, 826 Central Ave. in Davidsonville. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in New London, Conn. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401 or online at http://www.hospicechesapeake.com