Wiley Teel: 'The hardest working man'

Some knew Wiley Teel as an Albuquerque school teacher, where he devoted more than three decades of his life.

Others knew the Portales native as a cattle rancher, restorer of antique furniture, emergency medical technician and lover of antique cars.

He moved back to Roosevelt County in 2000 after retiring as an educator.

"We were born and raised in Albuquerque," Teel's son Mike Teel said. "So, I just knew the Albuquerque schoolteacher, Wiley. "He was the hardest working man I've ever known.

"He was always using his hands, using his mind. His retirement was coming out here, working hard, doing cattle six to seven days a week. That was his idea of retirement."

Wiley Teel's passion for the cattle led to his death on Monday afternoon.

"It's tragic and ironic," Mike Teel said. His father, 78, had been working to sell off his last three dozen head of cattle and settle into another retirement.

Mike Teel said his dad had sold cattle earlier in the day, then returned to his remaining herd near Milnesand.

He climbed into a pen where he was trampled by a bull. Officials said Wiley died from his injuries at Roosevelt General Hospital.

His published obituary reports Wiley Teel graduated from Portales High School in 1962 and from Eastern New Mexico University in 1966. He married his wife, Barbara, in August of 1966. The two would have celebrated their 57th anniversary later this month.

The secret to their long marriage? "I don't really know what the answer was but patience, patience, patience," Barbara said.

Besides their son Mike, the Teels also had a daughter, Melissa Phillips.

Family members and friends remembered Wiley Teel as a man with many interests and skills.

After training with the National Guard in the 1960s, he returned to college and completed his master's degree in 1968.

In Albuquerque, he was an industrial education teacher.

Family members said he also found time to become a licensed contractor, and he built houses.

Another thing Wiley Teel loved was antique cars.

"Even back in the Albuquerque days, he had started with not just cars, but just antique shopping and traveling to go across the country to go find a particular part or a particular antique," Phillips said.

Wiley Teel refurbished so many cars he set some aside for each of his grandkids.

Danelle Teel, Mike's wife, said she admired Wiley's work ethic and sees many of his characteristics in her husband. "(Mike) was raised by a very good man," she said.

Phillips said her dad was a kind human who always wanted to give back to others. One of the ways he did that was by serving at the First United Methodist Church in Portales.

Former FUMC Pastor Damon Stalvey said Wiley was chair of the church's trustees. In that role, he helped take care of the property and buildings.

"He was a Mr. Fix It type of guy," Stalvey said.

Every Sunday, Stalvey said Wiley Teel was early to the doors to help greet people as they came in. "He would help people get in and out, you know, grab the wheelchair, whoever needed that," Stalvey said.

"His faith was very apparent," Stalvey said.