Life Lessons from Betty White: How to Live a Joyful and Purposeful Life By Writer Patty Sullivan
Betty White’s award-winning career spanned seven decades. From the early days of television on the game-show circuit to her unforgettable roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland, she was the First Lady of Television. With her irreverent wit and comedic timing, she was a force of nature forever cherished by fans young and old.
In Betty White’s Pearls of Wisdom readers will find a more intimate look into Betty’s life as told through the eyes of Patty Sullivan, lifelong friend and adopted family member. “My remembrances are perhaps an echo of things already said, but I hope my stories hold up a mirror, another reflection of her essence and how she affected my life so profoundly.”
Patty met Betty in the late 60’s and enjoyed a rich relationship and amazing closeness until her final days. Through her stories we see Betty’s fun-loving banter over a game of Scrabble, her wisdom imparted on a moonlit Christmas sleigh-ride, and her passionate advocacy for all members of the animal kingdom. Her uncompromising values were the authentic core of the life she lived and savored - tasting every minute along the way.
This book gives you a glimpse into the personal relationship with “her Sullivans, ” and the pearls of wisdom she imparted that forever transformed their lives.
Betty and Patty
About Patty: Briefly, my family and I first came to Palos Verdes in 1973. A wonderful author by the name of Derek Gill wanted to write a book about my husband – “If You Could See What I Hear,” which subsequently became a best-seller and a major motion picture. He then proceeded to find our first home on Via Rosa where we lived for 15 years until moving to upper Lunada Bay. Our children attended Evelyn Dawn’s Rolling Hills Country Day, followed by Chadwick, Palos Verdes High for our daughter, and Bishop Montgomery for our son. They participated in all the usual sports from soccer and baseball to hockey for our son, and horses for our daughter. We have enjoyed an amazing quality of life here and are evermore more appreciative of the quality of life we have enjoyed for many, many years.
Early on in the 80’s I founded an organization – Vistas for Blind Children – to raise money for the Blind Children’s Center of Los Angeles. I am very proud to say that Vistas has continued as a very successful organization now raising funds for numerous and worthy children’s charities. But back then, running was a big deal, and together with my husband Tom, our organization began the Tom Sullivan, St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run in the City of Torrance drawing close to 10,000 runners for more than a decade, and raising millions of dollars for our one-of-a-kind schools for infants and toddlers born without the gift of sight.
My husband and I have always been very active and supportive of this beloved community. Tom served as a Trustee for Torrance Memorial in the 80’s and for the last 12 years has served on the Board for Providence Trinity Care Hospice supporting the amazing work of Dr. Glen Komatsu.
When Little Company of Mary began it’s Power of Pink, day of Women’s Wellness in 2000, I got involved chairing the committee and have continued to support this amazing event for over 20 years. Along the way, I served for 15 years as a Trustee on the Foundation Board, chairing that Board from 2007-2008, subsequently honored as Trustee Emeritus in 2017. I continued to serve on the Community Ministry Board until 2022.
Professionally, Tom began in the show business community, first as a recording artist doing concerts around the world, was a frequent guest on television variety and sit-com as well as a few films. He was a special correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning American for almost 10 years and then became a very sought after inspirational speaker for numerous corporations which he continues to do today.
For the last 15 years I have enjoyed a wonderful and fulfilling career in Real Estate with Vista Sotheby’s International Realty Co. My biggest highlight has been the representation of the buyer for the Casa Felicia Estate – one of the first homes constructed on the Peninsula, designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers who were hired to develop the landscape of the Peninsula. As a gift from the Palos Verdes Project Developers, they were given first choice of lots to build and ended up with the amazing property on the cliffs over-looking RAT Beach.