'Great wife, great mother': Tahlequah special ed teacher passes after 26 years of service

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Teresa Horn worked as a special education teacher at Tahlequah High School for 26 years, before dying last Friday from a heart attack, according to family.

Dani Haggard said her mother loved her job.

"She impacted her students at school and other coworkers and teachers," she said.

Teresa was last at the school on Thursday, Aug. 20, and called in sick to work the next day.

The following Monday, she was tested for coronavirus and learned on Tuesday that she was COVID-19 positive.

Dani said her mother had a weak heart to begin with, but then she got coronavirus. She said the doctor told her that due to stress from the virus, her heart was weakened even more causing her to have a heart attack.

Teresa died on Friday, Aug. 28, at 62 years old.

"Great wife, great mother," Dani said.

Danny Horn, Teresa's husband, was also diagnosed with coronavirus at the same time as his wife. Neither of them was hospitalized while battling the virus. Danny has since recovered from COVID-19.

"She loved to meet people, always had a smile on her face, and left an impact on people," Danny said.

A funeral date has not been set yet, but family said Teresa's funeral will be open to the public.

Teresa is survived by Danny, Dani, her step-son, and two step-daughters.

"Her first love was Jesus and second love was Elvis Presley until I came along," Danny said of his wife.

In a Facebook post, Tahlequah Public Schools said all in-person classes will move to distance learning Monday and Tuesday "out of respect for the family and my staff." Those students will return to traditional learning Wednesday.

The district will also provide counseling services for staff and students all week.