NORTHAMPTON — Funeral services for state Rep. Peter V. Kocot will be held early next week, the family announced in his obituary.
Services will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 99 King St., in Northampton. Calling hours are scheduled for Monday, from 2 to 7 p.m., at Czelusniak Funeral Home, 173 North St., also in Northampton.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Peter Kocot Scholarship Fund (Dollars for Scholars,) The Cooley Dickinson Cancer Center or Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst.
Kocot, 61, died Thursday following a brief illness. The longtime Northampton Democrat served as the 1st Hampshire District’s representative since 2002. Among his accomplishments during his tenure, Kocot included his vote in favor of same-sex marriage rights at the 2004 Constitutional Convention, a 2009 ethics reform bill and the revamping of the state’s public records laws in 2015, according to his obituary.
The State Ethics Commission released a statement Friday on Kocot’s death. Kocot was on the House Committee on Ethics at the time of his death and had previously served as chairman.
“At the State Ethics Commission, we are deeply saddened by the passing of Representative Peter V. Kocot,” the statement read. “In his years of public service, Representative Kocot was a champion for transparency and accountability in government and a strong advocate for the mission of the State Ethics Commission. His friendliness, helpfulness, and commitment to good government will be greatly missed.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Feb. 28, 2018, to correct the name of the State Ethics Commission.