Roberta Sullivan

Roberta ‘Robbie’ McAfee Sullivan, 61, passed away peacefully early Jan. 10, 2008, in the company of friends and family after a short and valiant battle with cancer.

Robbie was born Dec. 5, 1946, in Freeport, Texas. She was an instructor and counselor at Flathead Valley Community College and began her teaching career in 1968.

She met and married her husband, Mark, in Oklahoma City in 1983. Together, they moved to Edmond, Okla., then to Fayetteville, Ark., before their move to Whitefish, Mark’s hometown, in 1989. Mark always believed that because of this marriage that he was “the luckiest man alive.”

Robbie grew up in Oklahoma City and was the oldest of six children. Her mother, Henrietta McAfee, and two sisters, Sharon Ammon and Nancy Thompson and their families still reside in Oklahoma City. The youngest sister, Martha Bitter, and her family live in Tyler, Texas, and her brother, Mike McAfee, and his family live in Oregon.

Robbie was a wonderful grandmother to her two grandchildren and would light up the room anytime she was given the chance to talk about them. She spent a great deal of time with them, and they will dearly miss her.

Robbie’s strong belief in the value of education was passed on to her sisters and brothers and their children, as well as her own children. At FVCC, her enthusiasm was infectious, and colleagues and students alike enjoyed her company and respected her abilities. Her sense of humor and upbeat attitude were transmitted to all who came in contact with her.

Robbie formed many rich friendships in the Flathead Valley and all across Montana. She will be remembered for the help and encouragement she gave to all.

Robbie was preceded in death by her father, Bob McAfee; and one brother, Pat.

She is survived by her husband Mark, of Kalispell; her son Robert, of Columbus, Ohio; and her daughter Martha Rendahl, her husband Joe and their two children, of Whitefish.

A funeral service took place Jan. 15, 2008, in the Arts and Technology building at FVCC. Burial took place at Glacier Memorial Gardens in Kalispell