Anita O'Sullivan

O'Sullivan, Anita (nee Anderson), 86, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2024, after days full of visits from friends and family. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Elizabeth; and former husband, Terry. Survivors include daughter, Elizabeth (Ian Rhoades); grandchildren, Emily, David, and Asher; brother, Dale (Sharon) Anderson; and many beloved family members and friends. She graduated from St Louis Park High School with the class of 1955, and that is where her love of acting began.

Anita's involvement in the Twin Cities theater scene spanned more than six decades. She appeared at The Brave New Workshop, the Old Log Theatre, the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, History Theatre, Theatre in the Round, Park Square Theatre, DayTrippers Theatre, Westonka Community Theatre, Lakeshore Players, and many more. After acting became too physically taxing, she loved being "on book," helping actors with their lines during rehearsals at DayTrippers Theatre. For decades, she served the Old Log Theater as an administrative assistant, helping with everything from ticket sales to meal prep to auditions and rehearsals.

At the Old Log, she met her former husband, actor Terry O'Sullivan, and they were close companions until his death in 2006. Anita valued time with theater friends, classmates from high school, her condo coffee group, and her family, including many dear cousins. In her social life, as well as in her acting, Anita had superb timing and made people laugh. Her daughter and grandchildren remember how she greeted them with delight and how genuine she was.

As her life grew more simple, Anita's lifelong love of birds and animals shone. She spent hours watching the shore of Minnehaha Creek, taking great joy when she spotted a heron or witnessed a little social drama unfold among a group of ducks.

A memorial service will be held at 3 PM on Monday, July 1, 2024 at the Theatre in the Round; 245 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454, with visitation beginning at 2 PM and a reception to follow the service. Memorials preferred to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund) to support actors in challenging life circumstances, or to the Minnesota Land Trust to provide habitat for the wild birds that brought her joy.