Halbert Sullivan, founder and CEO of Fathers & Families Support Center (FFSC), died at his home in St. Charles on Thurs., April 15, 2021 of an apparent heart attack.
Sullivan, 69, founded the organization in 1997 with the intent of transforming absent fathers into nurturing parents. Since then, the organization helped more than 18,000 fathers become financially and emotionally involved parents with the skills necessary to hold a job and support a family, in turn, making a positive impact in the lives of nearly 45,000 children.
“The entire Fathers Support family is shocked and saddened at Halbert’s passing,” said Jeff Miller, FFSC chairman of the board. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, who along with FFSC staff and clients, mourn his loss. He was an incredible man.”
Sullivan was born in Memphis, TN, but moved to Rochester, NY, as a teenager. While in Rochester, he became addicted to drugs and was an absent father to his own child. After multiple arrests, convictions and incarcerations, he relocated to St. Louis where he got back in touch with his children, earned a college degree and then, at age 47, a master’s degree in social work from The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Community leaders approached him about creating a program to help children by helping their fathers and the organization was born.
Today, FFSC has more than 50 full-time employees and an annual budget of $4.5 million. Last year, the organization moved to newly renovated offices downtown at Olive and 16th streets.
Sullivan received the Gold Pin for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Partnership of Community Leadership, was named the 2017 Nonprofit Executive of the Year in St. Louis, and received honors from the NAACP, Missouri Association of Social Welfare, Washington University and the governor of Missouri.
In 2018, he penned an article for The St. Louis American’s Homegrown Black Male series, entitled, My journey to training responsible fathers.
Miller said FFSC will “continue its important work, as Halbert would have wanted.” A succession plan created years ago will guide the organization’s effort to find Sullivan’s successor. Cheri Tillis, a 17-year-veteran of FFSC and current COO, will lead the organization on an interim basis.