20-year Dolores School District educator Lori Harris, 66, dies

Lori Elizabeth Harris, of Dolores, Colorado, passed into the arms of Jesus on February 8, 2026 in Durango, Colorado after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer," reads the Ertel Funeral Home obituary, which notes Harris was 66 and a longtime member of the Dolores community. Her death removes a 20-year Dolores School District educator from a close-knit local network; a rosary will be held February 17 at 9:00 AM followed by Mass at 9:30 AM at Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in Cortez, with inurnment at Summit Ridge Cemetery in Dolores.

The Journal's notice identifies Mercy Medical Center as the facility where Harris died on February 8, 2026, while the Ertel obituary records Durango as the city of her passing. Harris was born January 22, 1960 in Colorado Springs to Fred and Bev Jahn, and she was 66 at the time of her death.

Harris earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and later earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Adams State University in Alamosa while working and raising a family. She moved to Cortez in 1982, met Gary Harris on a blind date, and married him June 6, 1986. The obituary lists two daughters, Brittney Nesmith Dalton and Emily Hoselton Darren, and three grandchildren Kinsey, Kailey and Gideon.

Ertel Funeral Home's obituary states, "For 20 years, Lori faithfully served the Dolores School District, where she supported students, staff, and families alike with a spirit of patience and compassion. She retired in May 2022." The obituary credits that service to a patient, community-oriented approach but does not list specific schools or job titles within the district.

The Ertel obituary lists survivors by name and family relationship: husband Gary Harris; daughters Brittney Nesmith Dalton and Emily Hoselton Darren; sisters Linda Billings Jim and Leslie Markel Pat; brother Greg Jahn Cindy; and her three cherished grandchildren Kinsey, Kailey and Gideon. It also notes Harris was preceded in death by her parents Fred and Bev Jahn.

Service arrangements are described as for close family and Lori’s Catholic community, with the rosary and Mass scheduled February 17 at Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in Cortez and inurnment to follow at Summit Ridge Cemetery in Dolores. The Ertel Funeral Home online obituary invites friends and family to read the full notice, add memories, share the obituary with others, and follow the page for updates.

Harris’s death from breast cancer underscores a persistent public health concern for Dolores County residents who often travel to regional centers for diagnosis and treatment; Mercy Medical Center in Durango is named in local notices. Neighbors who wish to leave memories, photos, or condolences are encouraged to use the Ertel Funeral Home obituary page to share remembrances and to follow updates about services.