Obituary of Teresita Milagros Cantero-McCullough

SAYBROOK TWP – Teresita "Tere" Milagros Cantero-McCullough, 61, passed away peacefully at her home Tuesday, February 22, 2022, surrounded by her beloved husband and children. She was born October 6, 1960, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the daughter of Jose Laureano Cantero and Doris Llompart Cantero and had been an Ashtabula resident since 2015. She attended Wheaton College, Wheaton, MA, which was an all-girls college, and after deeming it wasn't a party school, she enrolled in The College of New Rochelle in New York. She worked as a sales rep for American Greetings in Puerto Rico where she met her future husband Mark McCullough in 1990. They later married in San Juan, PR on October 20, 1994. Tere and Mark then started their own greeting card company, Creaciones Caribeñas/Island Greetings, which ultimately ended up supplying cards to American Greetings and others. After dissolving their business, Mark and Tere left Puerto Rico and returned to Ashtabula, Mark's hometown. Tere went back to work with American Greetings as a merchandiser and did the same for Premier Retail, both on a part-time basis. Tere loved life. She always saw the glass as "half full". She was said to be a "tiny giant" – a small person with a big personality. Always smiling, she loved visiting wineries and enjoying a good margarita. She loved her beautiful island of Puerto Rico and times on the water were always special to her whether they were boating, sailing, or on the beach. She enjoyed getting her nails done and had a big heart for animals, taking in strays over the years and making them her own. She typically named them after some of her favorite beverages such as Coquito, Tequila, Vodka, and Mojito. Her survivors include her husband, Mark McCullough; four children, Lymari (Eladio) Yenderrozos of Jefferson, Jose G. Rovira of San Juan, PR, Natalia McCullough of San Juan, PR, and Andrea McCullough of Jefferson; two grandchildren, Isabella and Penelope Yenderrozos. She was preceded in death by her parents. Calling hours will be held on Friday, February 25, 2022, from 5 – 7 PM at the ZABACK-WILLIAMS-DUCRO FUNERAL HOME, 500 West Prospect Road, Ashtabula. Remarks will be made at 7 PM if anyone wishes to share a story or memory. Contributions may be made to the Animal Protective League, 5970 Green Road, Ashtabula, OH 44004 www.ducro.com