Mayor Bill Carpenter will be remembered for his passion for the city, tackling the drug epidemic, high school sports and also transforming the image of Brockton from a troubled urban center to a destination for workforce housing and businesses. Carpenter was found Wednesday at around 7:30am unresponsive in his vehicle at the Arnone Elementary School. Sources say he was transported to the Good Samaritan Medical Center where he would later be be pronounced dead.
The cause of the mayor’s passing is not known, however he did undergo a cardiac catheterization in mid-March to clear a blocked artery and a second procedure was performed just a couple of weeks ago. Carpenter, a Marshfield native and Marshfield High School graduate, is survived by five sons, a daughter, grandchildren and his life partner Juli Cadwell. He was first elected in 2009 as a Ward 5 school committee member. He would serve two terms before a successful run for mayor in 2013. The mayor did recently hold a campaign kickoff with the intention of seeking a fourth term.
With Carpenter’s passing, At Large City Councilor and Council President Moises Rodrigues becomes the city’s Acting Mayor. Since the news broke, city officials and residents alike are shocked and saddened by the news, as many in the city of champions are mourning Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter, dead at the age of 62.
