Mary Lucero

Mary Lucero, from Las Cruces, passed away on Thursday (11/9/23). She was born in 1949 in Toledo, OH but lived most of her childhood in Las Cruces. She attended Dona Ana Elementary, a variety of middle schools, graduating from Las Cruces High School in 1967. Her father Rodney Sturtz was head of NASA’s Quality Control for the Apollo program at White Sands.

Mary married her high school sweetheart, Daniel Lucero in 1968. They were married for 55 years. Mary was a military wife for 23 years often caring for their 2 children alone during Dan’s many deployments including 3 combat tours in Vietnam. Mary was also a small business owner for 18 years and a healthcare administrator/executive director for 10 years before retiring in 2009. Mary and Dan raised 2 kids, Daniel, and Danette. They have 7 grandkids, Emily, Wyatt, Henry, Abigaile, Tessa, Christopher, and Rebecca. Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Rodney and Geneva Sturtz, and her brothers James, Joe, Paul, and Johnny. She is survived by her sisters, Michelle, Bobbye, and Suzanne.

Mary graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in Gerontology and a certificate in Aging and Adult studies. Mary distinguished herself in the long-term care health industry as a nursing home administrator establishing the first no-restraint nursing home facility in the State of Florida in the late 80’s and became a strong advocate for her clients suffering from dementia. She also served as an executive director for assisted living facilities. Because of her skills and experiences, Mary became a national resource to the long-term care industry establishing Geriatric Resources, providing caregiving resources and services for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Mary took her company from the local to the national level, eventually becoming a national speaker, a behavioral researcher with the National Institutes on Aging, and a strong advocate for those suffering from dementia. Mary was also an author. She contributed many articles related to Alzheimer’s caregiving that were published in the national American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. After her retirement, she chronicled the events of her father’s capture in Corregidor and his subsequent brutal imprisonment/torture as a POW by the Japanese for the entire WWII. This also included his participation in the infamous Bataan Death March.

Mary and Dan frequently visited Las Cruces over the years, finally returning in 2022. Dan’s family has a long family history here in Las Cruces dating back to the 1800s. His family has a farm started by his grandfather, Simon Lucero, in the Radium Springs area.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Getz Funeral in Las Cruces at 10am on December 16th in Las Cruces. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Key Training Center, which promotes growth, choice, and independence for the developmentally disabled. Telephone (352) 795-5541, website: keytrainingcenter.org.