Our mission at TeaSource is simple: offer the best value on the finest teas and tisanes from around the world. We strive for the highest quality in all we do—from the experience you have in your cup to the experience you have in our store and online. TeaSource is the Twin Cities’ foremost tea importer, wholesaler, retailer, and tea destination. Founded in 1997 in a spare bedroom, we now have more than 12,000 square feet devoted to importing, blending, warehousing and selling tea. We love answering tea questions and helping people learn about tea, so thanks for your interest! Let us know what we can do to help you explore and experience tea.
In Memoriam: TeaSource Founder Bill Waddington
William Waddington Obituary
William Henry Waddington, lovingly known as Bill, was born on June 6, 1954, to Helen Swan and Harry Waddington. Raised on the south side of Chicago, he remained a devoted White Sox and Bears fan throughout his life.
Bill attended Marist High School, forming lifelong friendships with classmates, relationships strengthened during annual canoe trips to the Quetico wilderness. After graduation, he worked his way through college in a variety of jobs, ultimately earning a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in teacher education in history from the University of Illinois Chicago.
Being both restless and insatiably curious, Bill didn't settle into a single career path. He worked as a deck hand on towboats on the Mississippi, a librarian, a store manager, a high school history teacher, and a corporate trainer for Gateway Foods in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
In La Crosse, Bill first met Liz Pauly, hearing her sing at a benefit concert. He introduced himself and asked if she would consider giving him singing lessons. She offered him her number and suggested he call her in September. She was looking for a teaching job and thought she might have to move. Luckily for both, she found a teaching position in the area. A friendship blossomed between them and four years later, they were married.
Bill and Liz eventually made their way to the Twin Cities, and a home in Northeast Minneapolis. Bill continued working as a corporate trainer but became increasingly interested in tea. He had discovered tea in his late teens - hating coffee yet needing something to help him stay awake when studying. He started with grocery store teas, but curiosity led him to reach out to anyone who knew about tea. From those initial contacts, TeaSource was born.
TeaSource started in the spare bedroom of Bill and Liz's home. Keeping his corporate role, Bill sold tea on the side. Finally, he decided to go all in and opened his first retail location on Cleveland Avenue in St. Paul. Bill travelled around the world searching out teas, building relationships with growers, and learning tea culture. He grew TeaSource into a thriving retail and wholesale business.
TeaSource was more than a business for Bill- it was a passion. During his 20+ year tenure, he taught classes around the world, sharing not only his knowledge of tea but also his infectious care for the tea community. At his core, Bill was a teacher. He loved sharing his love for tea and its people with anyone and everyone who would listen.
Yet, as much as he loved the tea world, nothing compared to becoming a father. In 2000, Bill and Liz travelled to China to bring home their daughter Maggy. For Bill, being a father to Maggy became the most important part of his life.
Bill retired after selling TeaSource in 2022. He then volunteered - for the American Red Cross, acting as a Disaster Action Team responder, often going out in the middle of the night to support displaced families. Maggy would remind Bill that retirement meant resting and playing golf, but that was not Bill's way.
In 2023, Bill was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As always, curiosity spurred Bill to dig deeply into research on the disease, looking for ways to manage its challenges. He found that there were resources for care partners, but not for people living with Alzheimer's. In the last years of his life, Bill developed and presented sessions on coping strategies for those newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment.
Bill is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Pauly and daughter, Margaret (Maggy) Waddington, both of Minneapolis, MN, sister Marcy (Sean) Dowse of Farmville, VA and brother Harry (Teresa) Waddington of Brunswick, GA, along with many other family and friends.
Visitation will be held at University Baptist Church, 1219 University Ave SE in Minneapolis, MN on March 27th at 3:00 p.m. followed by a celebration of life at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Red Cross.
Photo credit: Tracy Walsh for Good Age magazine.
Contact Us
TeaSource Main Office
2616 N. Cleveland Avenue
Roseville, MN 55113
651-788-9971
office@teasource.com