Hope College mourning loss of former swimmer Danny Sullivan

The Hope College swimming and diving program is mourning the loss of one of its alumni. 

Danny "Jovie" Sullivan, who graduated in 2017, died unexpectedly from health complications while swimming on Jan. 27 in Vietnam. He was 27. 

"He was the best of us: selfless, compassionate, and above all else, jovial," the Hope swim program shared on social media. "He was the quintessential teammateand and of you who have interacted with him in the past know how much he loved HMS (Hope men's swimming). To say we were lucky to have him would be a monumental understatement. He will be missed dearly."

He was born in Cincinnati and grew up in Columbus, Ohio, before coming to Michigan to attend Hope College. 

Sullivan's obituary highlighted the passion for swimming he had.

"A lifelong swimmer, he suffered a sudden cardiopulmonary attack while working out at a local pool," the obituary read. "His final act was doing exactly what he loved, and he passed holding the hand of the love his life, Callahan Noelle Davenport."

A funeral eucharist and memorial service will be held on Feb. 11, 2022, at 1 p.m. at the Dimnent Memorial Chapel on the campus of Hope College in Holland. Memorial gifts may be made to the Daniel William Sullivan Scholarship Fund or the Patnott Swim Training Fund at Hope College-141 East 12th St., Holland MI 49423 or hope.edu/give. 

 — Contact Sports Editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.