Mildred Terrell

MILDRED’s STORY

Mildred McLean-Terrell

Mildred McLean-Terrell, age 86 passed away from COVID-19 on Sunday, May 3, 2020. Mildred or “Milly” as some affectionally called her worked as a Behavioral Health Assistant at Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute on Henry Avenue in Philadelphia. Mildred was the proud daughter of the late Lular and Dock Dakota McLean. She is survived by her daughter Dawn, her son Derrick and her grandchildren Antoine Jr. Andre, Quentin, Taja, Derrick Jr. Domolique, great-grandson Benjamin and favorite beloved niece Maureen Prillerman. Mildred absolutely loved dancing and singing in her high pitch, going to Penn’s Landing Great Plaza for concerts, Reading Terminal for her treats and enjoyed walking East River drive for the scenery. Mildred had a fierce sense of style and always walked tall; head held high with a shapely 5’3 stature. Mildred lived fearlessly with a zest for life, evidenced by attending Wimbledon, the 2012 Olympics and President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.  

What she loved and prided herself most for was the care and dedication she gave to raising her children and grandchildren. Every milestone and accomplishment they achieved was enthusiastically applauded and cheered. Mildred was proud when her eldest son Dwayne (deceased) told her he had enlisted in the Airforce and would eventually be stationed in Italy. She gave him every word of caution and pearl of wisdom a mother could and even met him at Lackland Airforce base after basic training. When Dawn graduated from Hahnemann University School of Health Sciences, Mildred had a front-row seat of course. Mildred’s pride had no limit on distance as she attended granddaughter Taja’s college graduation from East Stroudsburg University, Antoine’s football games at Scotland School for Veterans Children in Carlisle Pa, or Shippensburg University and Andre’s Recruit Training Command graduation at Naval Station Great Lakes, Chicago. Mildred’s dedication as a mother and grandmother never faltered. Even towards the end, she was concerned that Quentin’s 16th birthday came and she did not have a gift for him.

Mildred’s memories were full of events and situations that occurred within her large family that grew up and around Swain Street near 15th & Fairmount Avenue. She often reminisced of how her mother would give her bus fare for local transportation and send her to center city Philadelphia to pay a bill or how her father took the family to Wildwood New Jersey every summer. Thanksgiving Day was a full event at the McLean household. Mildred, her brothers, and sisters only had to walk around the corner to see the Big Parade as it moved up Broad Street passed the corner of Fairmount Avenue. The culmination was dinner and dessert for 20 or more and ending with her sister, Arletha’s travel ventures captured on 8 mm film reels, watched on a screen, set up in the “Parlor”. Mildred also drove home the fact that her brothers “taught her to fight” as protection during her elementary and high school years.

Most recently Mildred embraced another family at the InnovAge Life Allegheny where she gained new friends and a dedicated relationship with her healthcare team. Mildred also made an impact on the phenomenal teams of healthcare professionals at Albert Einstein Medical Center and Moss Rehab, Elkins Park.

Mildred had a smile that could pierce the dark, and an irrepressible personality, drive, and strength that will be forever be missed. Words of comfort included,” there will be no one like her”, “it was a privilege to know her’, and “she had a great sense of humor and lust for life”. For this, we all thank you!

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