Following his death on March 7, David Orlando (Orly) Lucero, 67, was laid to rest on Friday after a celebration of life at the Cortez Recreation Center. Rather than flowers, his family requested that donations be made in his honor to the American Cancer Society.
Lucero served as the mayor of Cortez from 2002 to 2010 and a member of the Cortez City Council from 2014 to 2022. He worked as a staking engineer at Empire Electric Association Inc.
Lucero was also known for his Christmas light display around the holidays. One of his blowup Santa decorations welcomed community members at the door of the Cortez Rec Center as they arrived to pay their respects.
People of all ages crowded inside the rec center gym as a photo slideshow of Lucero began to play while “Vaya Con Dios” by Freddy Fender and “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson played in the background.
Pastor Todd Erlandson of Grace Fellowship Church welcomed attendees by reading John 14:1-6 and Psalm 23. Following the reading of the Bible passages, “You Raise Me Up,” by Josh Groban played before Mayor Rachel Medina addressed the family and friends of Lucero.
Medina honored the former mayor by speaking of his dedication to public service and his part in multiple projects in Cortez, including the rec center, new high school, the relocation of Walmart and more during his time of public service. He also served on multiple boards, including the Cortez Fire Protection District, Housing Authority, the RE-1 School District, and more.
“He lent a helping hand whenever he could,” Medina said.
The next speaker was Lucero’s niece, who shared she was still trying to “come to terms” with his death. She spoke fondly of the many stories he would tell.
“All I can think of are his stories,” she said. “How many people have that many stories?”
She told a humorous story of a time Lucero told her that Mohammed Ali was in the airport while they were traveling, but she didn’t believe him. She ended up missing the opportunity to see Ali in person.
She noted that Lucero had impacted countless people in his life by always making them laugh and feel loved, saying she hoped others would always remember Lucero when serving their communities and decorating for the holidays.
“You knew exactly who he was, because he always lived fearlessly,” she said.
Before Erlandson closed the celebration of life, “Horses in Heaven” by Randy Travis was played.
Erlandson spoke of how Lucero’s yard was always decorated for Christmas, and that his proudest moment was when his daughter, Felice, had graduated from pharmacy school.
Erlandson also shared a poem called “The Dash” by Linda Ellis, and how it reminded him of the way Lucero had lived his life. The poem focuses on the dash between a person’s birth and date, and how we can forget how vastly important that little dash is.
“For it matters not, how much we own/ the cars, the house, the cash/ What matters is how we live and love/ And how we spend our dash,” the poem said.
While in chemotherapy, another man in treatment recognized Lucero, and the two struck up a conversation, further emphasizing his impact on others.
“Orly lived his dash well,” Erlandson said. “It’s OK to grieve and mourn.”
He urged those in attendance to celebrate Lucero’s life, how lived the dream and lived out the words of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13.
“Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor,” Erlandson said. “Then you’ll be living the dream.”
After a closing prayer and thanking attendees for their part in the celebration of life, pallbearers wearing Dallas Cowboy T-shirts escorted Lucero’s casket to be taken to the Bayfield Cemetery.
