BROCKTON — Three-term Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter, who was called a “deeply committed public servant,” died unexpectedly Wednesday.
The 62-year-old was found unresponsive in a car parked at a city school, authorities said.
Carpenter was discovered by police responding to an emergency call around 7:30 a.m. at the Arnone School, where he had gone to drop off a family member at a summer program, according to a statement from Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz.
Carpenter was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The ause of death was not immediately known, but Cruz said no foul play was suspected.
The Enterprise of Brockton reported in March that Carpenter underwent a procedure for a cardiac artery blockage after experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath. He returned to work within about a week and was planning to seek another two-year term in November.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter, a deeply committed public servant who was dedicated to improving the lives of his neighbors,” Gov. Charlie Baker said on Twitter. “We join them and the entire community in mourning his passing.”
Carpenter, an independent, was first elected mayor in 2013 after serving on the school committee.
A city of nearly 100,000 residents in southeastern Massachusetts, Brockton is nicknamed “City of Champions” for being the hometown of former world boxing champs Rocky Marciano and “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler.
Carpenter had a prominent link to the boxing world himself, having previously been a professional boxing ring announcer, according to a biography on the city’s website, which said he also served for 17 years as the radio broadcaster for Brockton high school sports.
As mayor, Carpenter won praise for his work in dealing with the opioid crisis. He was the only mayor named by Baker in 2015 to the Governor’s Opioid Addiction Working Group. In 2016, he launched a program aimed at getting residents with substance abuse disorders into treatment.
Carpenter was the father of six children, one of whom is a city police officer.