Teresa Mlawer

Our beloved Teresa, known affectionately as Terry to her family and friends, passed away peacefully at home on March 21, 2020, after a courageous yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer.

Teresa is lovingly remembered by her husband, William; her daughter, Vivian, and son‑in‑law, Keith; her three stepchildren, Mark and his wife Laurie, Natania and her husband Michael, and Eli and his wife Jill; and her cherished grandchildren: Zachary and his wife Vanessa, Evan, Benjamin, Sissela and her husband Pedro, Ellis, Fanny, Sophia, and Samuel. She also leaves behind her newborn twin great‑grandchildren, Leon and Charlotte, as well as her sister Ines, and her nephew Ardelio and his wife Milbery.

Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1944 to José Rodríguez and Francisca Minsal, Teresa immigrated to the United States in 1961 with her parents and sister. The family settled in New York City, where Teresa attended high school at night while learning English and helping support her family in their new country.

Her distinguished career in publishing began in 1963 at Macmillan, where she quickly rose to become Export Manager for Latin America by 1966. After joining Regents Publishing in 1968, Teresa advanced rapidly, ultimately serving as Vice President. When Regents was acquired by Simon & Schuster, she transitioned to the role of International Sales Manager.

In 1976, she joined her husband at Lectorum Publications—the largest Spanish‑language book distributor in the United States—where she served as President and Editorial Director. There she oversaw the acquisition, selection, and editorial development of Spanish‑language literature for children and young adults. After Scholastic acquired Lectorum, Teresa continued to lead the division and expand its impact nationwide.

Following her “retirement” in 2012, Teresa and her husband founded Teresa Mlawer Publishing Solutions, offering consulting services on the Hispanic market to publishers, educators, and librarians.

A true pioneer in Spanish‑language children’s and young adult literature, Teresa dedicated five decades to ensuring that Spanish‑speaking children had access to high‑quality, authentic books. She championed Latin authors and illustrators, advocated tirelessly for representation, and cultivated generations of readers and educators.

Despite an extraordinarily full professional life, Teresa translated more than 500 books from English to Spanish. She approached every translation with deep respect for the author’s voice and an unwavering commitment to choosing language accessible to children from diverse cultural backgrounds. She was also the author of two bilingual children’s series—Fairy Tales / Cuentos de hadas and Timeless Tales / Fábulas de siempre—published by Adirondack Books.

Teresa touched the lives of all who knew her. She will be remembered for her warmth, generosity, exceptional work ethic, and her unrelenting devotion to the people and causes closest to her heart. Above all, she will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, stepmother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and great‑grandmother.

Her family is currently working to establish a scholarship fund in her name, ensuring that her legacy of education, opportunity, and cultural pride continues to inspire future generations.