Mildred Mae (Mann) Teal

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announced with great sorrow the death of retiree Mildred Mae (Mann) Teal on March 20, 2024, at Brandon Woods of New Bedford after a long illness. She was 96.

Milly was born on February 13, 1928, in Omaha, Nebraska to Nina (Hightower) and John Ellis Mann. She moved to the East coast more than 70 years ago. She loved the bustle and glamour of the city which she visited regularly from the farm she lived on.

Milly began her career at WHOI in 1979 as a library technician in the Library Group. During her tenure in the Library Group, she was promoted several times.  In 1985, she changed to a staff assistant for the Associate Director of Research until she left in 1989.  In 1995, she was rehired as a staff assistant in Human Resources.  In 2002, she transferred to the Board Relations Department and then in 2005, she transferred to the Directors Office. She retired in 2007.

She was the sole author of two books, The Flight of the Kite Merryweather, and Bird of Passage. She also collaborated with her husband, John Teal, to write four textbooks including: Pigeons and People, Life and Death of a Salt Marsh, Sargasso Sea, and Portrait of an Island.

Milly was also a talented artist. In her 30s,s she worked with glass to make wall hangings of people and animals. She also made jewelry in her kiln. She moved onto fabric later in her life and made scores of quilted wall hangings that were featured in quilt shows. She shared her talent widely, entering shows and teaching classes. Her quilts grace the halls of multiple local medical offices.

Milly is survived by her children Eric Teal of Sapelo, Georgia, and Tanya (Teal) Sanders of Rochester, MA. She is survived by four grandchildren; Matthew and David Sanders of Rochester; Carolyn Abrantes of Dartmouth; and Alexander Carroll-Teal of East Falmouth; and three great grandchildren Weylyn, Rhiannon, and Freya Sanders of Rochester.