From the Heart of Salem: The Resilience of Teresita Millard and the Legacy of a Life Lived for Love

Teresita Millard, a 67-year-old woman who had lived a life steeped in resilience and boundless care, met a tragic end on August 14, 2024. After picking up her husband’s medications—a routine errand she knew all too well—she was struck by a driver while crossing Northeast Lancaster Drive. She succumbed to her injuries three days later at Salem Hospital.

Carla Alegre, Teresita’s niece, recounted the familiarity of the route her aunt took that fateful day. For years, Teresita had navigated the bus system from her home in West Salem to the northeast side of town, where she dutifully fetched medication for her bedridden husband, William Millard. William, reliant on insulin and the devotion of his wife, was at the center of Teresita’s world. When her purse was returned to the family, the medications were still inside—a stark reminder of her unfinished task.

Alegre’s memories of her aunt are rich with warmth and a deep sense of duty. Teresita was a woman who squeezed every ounce out of life, despite the challenges polio left her with. "She lived a full life," Alegre said, recalling her aunt as the epitome of gratitude and joy in the face of adversity. “She’s that person. She definitely is.”

Born in the Philippines, Teresita carried with her the essence of home—both in spirit and in cuisine. She was the go-to aunt, the one who cooked on birthdays and cared for the sick. Her lumpia and maja blanca were legendary, not just for their taste but for the love with which they were prepared. "She would do any kind of job," Alegre said, "anything she could do, wherever her help was needed, she would do it."

Life wasn’t easy, but it was, in Alegre’s words, “hard, yet wonderful.” Teresita met William Millard, the man who would become her husband, and the couple married in 2009. They moved to California and later settled in Salem in 2011. Teresita brought with her the flavors and smells of her homeland, sharing them generously with Salem’s Filipino community.

Alegre emphasized that Teresita’s selflessness was a cornerstone of her life. She didn’t just care for her husband; she redesigned their home to accommodate his needs. Despite her own physical limitations, she refused to let anyone else take on the task of picking up William’s medications. It was her job, her duty, and she carried it out with pride.

On the day of the crash, Teresita’s journey was cut short. She never made it back home with the medications her husband needed. With no insulin and no one to care for him, William was rushed to the hospital. The man who had been cared for so meticulously was suddenly stripped of his lifeline.

“He was completely stripped away from that,” Alegre said, her voice heavy with grief. “Now he was taken away from his home. He won’t be coming back there because there is nobody there to take care of him.”

Alegre and her family, who reside in Bellingham, Washington, are now working to bring William closer to them. They refuse to leave him behind, insisting that he is family and deserves to be cared for in his final years.

A GoFundMe page was created by Alegre to support her aunt and uncle, but it has since been updated to reflect Teresita’s passing. The family’s tragedy has not gone unnoticed by the community, with many rallying to their support.

Salem Police have identified the driver who struck Teresita as 53-year-old Mario Alberto Ortiz. Ortiz was initially cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, driving without a license, and driving without insurance. The investigation is ongoing, with no further updates at this time, according to police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick.

In the end, Teresita Millard’s life was a testament to love, resilience, and the quiet strength that comes from putting others first. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of those who knew her and in the recipes she so lovingly shared. As Alegre said, "We can’t leave my uncle Bill behind. We can’t just leave him like that. He is family.

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