"The University of Massachusetts community was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mitchell Chester on Monday evening. The entire public education system in the Commonwealth owes a debt of gratitude to Commissioner Chester for his contribution to making our K-12 public schools the envy of the nation. I had the pleasure of meeting regularly with Commissioner Chester over the past two years and earned a great deal of respect for him as an educator and leader committed to providing equal access to a world-class public education for all children in Massachusetts. On behalf of the entire UMass community, I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, children, colleagues and other loved ones."
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