Longtime Worcester School Board Member O'Connell Dies At 70

WORCESTER, MA — Brian O'Connell, who served on the Worcester School Committee for 35 years, died early Friday morning. O'Connell's death shocked the city on Friday, prompting an outpouring of praise and remembrances from elected officials.

O'Connell, 70, was first elected to the school committee in November 1983, and he was running to keep his seat this year.

"‪Our dear friend of over 20 years passed away this morning at UMass after a brief illness. Brian O'Connell was a friend to all educators and students and a true leader in the community. This is great loss to our district and the City of Worcester," Superintendent Maureen Binienda said in a statement Friday evening.

O'Connell grew up in Worcester, graduating from Holy Cross and Harvard. He worked as a local attorney and as a school administrator. He most recently worked at the Motrose School in Medfield.

"It was an honor for me to serve alongside Brian on the School Committee at the beginning of my career. His lifelong passion for education and commitment to our students, teachers and administrators will surely be missed," City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said in a statment.

O'Connell's last school committee meeting was Oct. 3. He was not at Thursday's committee meeting, which prompted Binienda to drive to O'Connell's home, according to the Telegram and Gazette. He had suffered a "medical event," the paper reported, and died a short time later at UMass.

"Brian possessed a truly brilliant mind and dedicated his life and energies to education. For those of us who are honored to serve with him, Brian was always prepared, always thorough, and always polite," Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said in a statement.