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Thomas Peter Sullivan II — Pete to those who knew him — passed away on May 27 at his family home in Chatham Borough, New Jersey. He was 81. Sullivan’s career in journalism began after deploying to Vietnam, working as a photojournalist for Stars and Stripes, following graduation from the University of South Dakota with a journalism degree.

Thomas Peter Sullivan II, Nov. 21, 1943 – May 27, 2025.
Source: Bradley & Sons Funeral Homes, LLC

After the war, his prolific career in magazine publishing began, initially working for publications covering everything from salons to motorcycles, before settling into a long and highly influential focus on the plastics industry. Within plastics, his resume includes roles with Plastics Compounding, Plastics Design Forum, Plastic Machinery & Equipment (PM&E), Advanced Composites and Plastics World.

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In 1993, Sullivan, along with Peter Zacher and Suzy Witzler, founded Abby Communications, which launched Injection Molding Magazine (IMM). On April 28, 2005, Sullivan was elected to the board of Gardner Business Media (GBM), publisher of Plastics Technology and Composites World, among other advanced manufacturing publications, serving on that body through 2008. In 2014, he was part of the team that founded Plastics Machinery Magazine, since renamed Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing.

Jeff Sloan, brand manager for Composites World and Plastics Technology magazines, as well as the former editor in chief of IMM, first worked with Sullivan in 1990 at PM&E. Sloan reflected on Sullivan’s impact on him and the industry. “When I first started working with Pete in the early days of my journalism career, he taught me much about the importance of serving the reader first, the value of journalistic integrity and the respect for the relationships we built with our customers,” Sloan said. “He also instilled in me the understanding that we must constantly evolve and change the products we produce; satisfaction was never an option. Pete has left an indelible mark on the plastics industry and will be greatly missed.”

Jackie Dalzell, regional vice president at GBM, working with PT and MoldMaking Technology magazine, first worked with Sullivan in 1990, eventually joining the team that founded IMM. She shared the same sentiment on the long-lasting impact Sullivan had on her and the industry he served. “I am so grateful to Pete for his mentorship,” Dalzell said. “Both for the opportunities he gave or arranged for me to pursue, and the contagious passion he passed along to me for the plastics industry.”

Barb Businger, currently district manager at GBM for Composites World, first worked in sales with Sullivan in 1987 at PM&E, Plastics Design Forum and Plastics Compounding. She spoke of Sullivan’s leadership and guidance — in work and life. “Pete was eminently knowledgeable about the industry and always available to offer us wise, thoughtful counsel when we encountered problems,” Businger said. “He was both fair and demanding in the most positive way, never expecting more of others than he did of himself. He exemplified a good work/life balance — to know him was to know how he cared for his wife, Suzi, and their kids. The ability to lead well is a rare commodity, and Pete was someone who did it well.”

Born on Nov. 21, 1943, in Ottumwa, Iowa, Sullivan is survived by his wife of 58 years Suzanne, three children, and seven grandchildren.