It is with heavy hearts that we send our condolences to the Kocot family and the western Massachusetts communities that Rep. Peter Kocot served so well for so long.
Many letters to the Gazette already have testified to his outstanding achievements on behalf of commonwealth residents at both the larger scale and through individual kindnesses.
Here at Northampton’s International Language Institute, we are especially thankful for Rep. Kocot’s commitment to overcome the many challenges facing immigrants and refugees in our region. In the past year alone, he worked to stabilize funding from the state education department for programs that we and other nonprofit organizations offer to improve opportunities for immigrants and refugees as they seek to make better lives for their families and give back to their communities.
And we remember well his meeting with immigrant students in our free English classes to answer their questions about how American democracy works and how they can participate in the process.
Peter Kocot was a model for what this country stands for at its best. We would all do well to emulate his example.
Eric Wirth and
Caroline Gear
Northampton
The writers are board president and executive director, respectively, of the International Language Institute in Northampton.