Sullens, Sullins, Sullen… People often have trouble spelling Dr. Mike’s last name – always wanting to double the “l” or end it without the “s”. The somewhat tricky spelling of the name most likely is due to its interesting origin.
Dr. Mike’s grandfather, Henry, was born as Henry Anthony Sulenski. He grew up in northeastern Ohio and went to The Ohio State University (passion for the Buckeyes runs thick in the Sulens blood). There he met his lovely wife, Florence.
Florence wasn’t a huge fan of the Polish sounding name and preferred to drop the “ki”. Florence was (and still is!) a wonderful lady from Wheeling who knew what she wanted out of life. She was able to use her womanly wiles to influence Henry, who was young, very much in love and eager to please his new bride to abbreviate the name to just “Sulens”. Henry and Florence married in 1948.
Aside from Florence’s influence, Henry wasn’t naïve to the fact that the name doesn’t make the man, but the man makes the name. He was (and still is!) a one-of-a-kind guy that you don’t easily forget after meeting him. His vivacious personality, sense of humor, love of life and keen business mind led him to great success, setting a precedent for the Sulens name. He and Florence were the first with the name and although the family has grown, there is still a relatively small population of the Sulens clan.
Dr. Mike, similar to Henry, is authentically original. His positive, caring, detail-oriented and energetic personality is just a few of the reasons his patients love him. He is proud to keep the Sulens name close to its roots as a Zanesville dentist and resident.