{"id":23093,"date":"2025-03-18T18:40:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T00:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/longtime-cortez-resident-and-public-figure-orly-lucero-remembered-for-doing-the-maximum\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T22:26:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:26:27","slug":"longtime-cortez-resident-and-public-figure-orly-lucero-remembered-for-doing-the-maximum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/longtime-cortez-resident-and-public-figure-orly-lucero-remembered-for-doing-the-maximum\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime Cortez resident and public figure Orly Lucero remembered for \u2018doing the maximum\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Orly Lucero, a longtime resident and public figure in Cortez, will be celebrated and remembered at the Cortez Recreation Center on Friday, March 21 at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn death as in life, Orly was casual and would like everyone at his service to be casual,\u201d his obituary reads. \u201cEveryone is encouraged to show up comfortably, feel free to wear anything Dallas Cowboys to honor Orly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Afterward, he will be buried at the Bayfield Cemetery. His family asked that in place of flowers, people donate to the American Cancer Society<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When Lucero, 67, died on March 7, \u201cCortez lost a dear friend and esteemed community member,\u201d City Manger Drew Sanders said at the March 11 City Council meeting.<\/p>\n

\"Orly
Orly Lucero.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cEveryone that knew Orly knew that grass never grew under his feet,\u201d his obituary reads.<\/p>\n

Matt Keefauver, who served with Lucero for four years on City Council, echoed this.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe probably knew more people than all the council members combined,\u201d Keefauver laughed. \u201cYou\u2019d see him outside council at all the events in town. He was just a really incredible guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe loved attending any event to just visit with people,\u201d and he was \u201calways kind, always helpful, always dependable,\u201d said City Clerk Linda Smith.<\/p>\n

\"Orly
Orly Lucero dances at An Evening in Her Shoes benefit in 2016 for Renew\/WINGS Safehouse. Lucero finished in second place, behind Gary Noyes. The fundraiser featured a beauty pageant of local men and included a performance by the Impulsive Improvisors.<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cHe dedicated his life to public service,\u201d said Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina. \u201cAny time I heard about a board, he was on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you hear about \u2018The same 10 people,\u2019 he\u2019s one of them,\u201d said Medina. \u201cAnd he did it all while having a full-time job.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more than 30 years, Lucero worked as a staking engineer at Empire Electric Association Inc.<\/p>\n

And he underwent everything he did, each project, with a similar \u201czest,\u201d his obituary said. \u201cAlthough the project he loved most was being an incredible father to his daughter, Felice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from community involvement, Lucero was known for elaborately decorating his home during the holiday season, and for passing out candy canes to some of the children that came by, admiring the display.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d always joke how even though he worked for Empire, he wouldn\u2019t get a discount for his Christmas lights,\u201d Medina laughed. \u201cHe spent like $1,000 a month on those lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keefauver called the display \u201cthe best light show in town,\u201d and remembered joking with Lucero about how all the lights were giving him job security.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was always smiling and joking,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the thing about him was everyone loved him as soon as they met him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucero\u2019s ability to \u201cinject humor into otherwise serious things\u201d made him a great mayor.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe made everyone feel at ease because he was funny and fun,\u201d Keefauver said. \u201cHe made people feel comfortable and welcome so they could speak freely without judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to his work with Empire, Lucero served on several boards around town, including the Cortez Fire Protection District, Housing Authority and the RE-1 School District, to name a few.<\/p>\n

From 2002 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2022, Lucero was a member on the Cortez City Council. From April 2004 to April 2010, he was mayor, and mayor pro-tem from April 2018 to April 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did the maximum,\u201d Keefauver said. \u201cHe was really, really great.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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