Eliza Buchanan Sullivan (Liza), 86, passed away peacefully at her home in Clinton, MS on Thursday, May 5.

Liza was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia on March 30, 1936 to James and Frances Buchanan. Her father died while she was very young and she and her mother moved to nearby Brownsburg where her mother was a school teacher. Upon graduating from Brownsburg High School, Liza matriculated to Longwood College and received a bachelor of business administration degree in 1958. There she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority.

In the same year she graduated from college she married the love of her life John F. Sullivan Jr. (Jack). She was a constant support to Jack and their boys as they moved eleven times to nine different states during Jack's career with the Federal Highway Administration. Jack and Liza have been residents of Clinton since 1981. Liza made friends easily and hosted many dinner parties, bridge clubs, family gatherings and so much more. She was a gracious host and loved entertaining.

She was a homemaker and was involved in many church, civic, and community organizations. She was an active member of Le Bonte', Happy Gardeners, Homemakers, and Newcomers. She volunteered many hours at the 4 Cs and Clinton Nature Center. Later in her career she worked at UMMC on a heart research project. In her spare time she loved to sew, needlepoint, quilt, and was an avid golfer. For many years she made lap quilts for patients at Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital.

Liza was preceded in death by her father James William Buchanan and her mother Frances Sterrett Buchanan. She is survived by her husband John F. Sullivan, Jr. of 63+ years; her son John F. Sullivan III (Hope) of Raleigh, NC; her son James Sterrett Sullivan (Suzanne) of Madison, MS; and one grandson John Fallon Sullivan IV of Lawrence, KS.

Visitation will be Monday, May 9 at 9:30 am with funeral to follow at 11:00 am. Both visitation and funeral will be at First United Methodist Church in Clinton. A brief graveside interment will follow the service at the Clinton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to the Clinton Christian Community Center or First United Methodist Church of Clinton. Arrangements will be provided by Wright and Ferguson of Clinton.

Pallbearers are longtime friends of Jack and Liza's – David Graves, Gary Hillman, Jerry Lyons, Roland Martin, Ken Pate, Bob Pavy, and Larry Stevens.

The family would like to thank Kindred Hospice for the care and services they provided in the last years of Liza's life.