Sandy Crimmins | Poet, performer, 55

Sandy Crimmins, 55, of West Mount Airy, a poet who performed with musicians, dancers and fire-eaters at bars, bookstores and festivals, died of an apparent heart attack Monday. She was pronounced dead at Chestnut Hill Hospital. An autopsy was pending.

Ms. Crimmins left the village of Trumansburg, N.Y., after graduating from high school and never looked back. She earned a bachelor's degree in theater in 1971 from Parsons College and a master's in theater directing in 1973 from Ohio University.

Ms. Crimmins moved to New York and became a stage manager for several theaters, including the Spider Woman Theater, a troupe of three Native American women who performed several months a year on stages in Europe, Canada and the United States.

In 1985, she married Joseph Sullivan. Four years later, she earned a master's in nonprofit management from the University of Detroit.

Ms. Crimmins, her husband and their two young sons moved to West Mount Airy in 1989, and she began to write poetry and fiction focused on family issues. Her short stories and poems were published in a variety of journals.

In the late 1990s, Ms. Crimmins began performing poetry with musicians, flamenco dancers and a fire-eating artist in coffee shops, theaters and bars. Her show, El Cid in Flamenco and Flames, was based on Spanish mythology.

Ms. Crimmins was active in the West Mount Airy community. She was an early supporter of the Sedwidge Cultural Center and the Mount Airy Learning Tree.

In addition to her husband, Ms. Crimmins is survived by sons Matthew and Brendan Sullivan; two brothers; and two sisters.

Friends may visit at 9:30 a.m. today at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 109 E. Price St. A Funeral Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m.. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham.

Memorial contributions may be made to Face to FaceInc. or Inn Dwelling Inc., both in care of St. Vincent de Paul Church, 109 E. Price St., Philadelphia 19144.