Rep. Carol Doherty of Taunton died Saturday after battling pancreatic cancer, her office announced. She was 82 years old and was an educator and school committee member before being first elected to the House in 2020.
Doherty’s House office announced her death around 2 p.m. Saturday. House Speaker Ronald Mariano offered the “deepest condolences” of the House to Doherty’s family, friends, constituents, and staff.
“For many decades, she selflessly dedicated her life to children, first as a teacher, a guidance counselor, and a school committee member before serving in the House of Representatives. She was kind, passionate, and a fierce advocate for the residents of Taunton and Easton on Beacon Hill, and served them honorably until her final days,” Mariano said. “We are grateful for her service to the Commonwealth and for having the opportunity to serve alongside her. May she rest in peace.”
Doherty was the daughter of immigrant families from the islands of Madeira and Cape Verde, and she lived in Taunton since 1965. She taught at Taunton’s Bennett Elementary School and later worked as a guidance counselor. She was elected president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and served in that position for two consecutive terms in the early 1980s, according to her legislative biography. She later worked for 18 years at Northeastern University, including as director of professional development in the school of education.
In addition to serving at least five terms on the Taunton School Committee, Doherty also founded the Taunton Community Gardens and served on the board of directors of the Downtown Taunton Foundation.
A number of Doherty’s colleagues from the Legislature reacted to the news of her death on social media.
“Sending love to her family and friends, may her memory be eternal. Such a sad loss for all of us who had the honor and pleasure of working with State Representative Carol Doherty. She was a beautiful lady who worked hard for her constituents and always had a kind word for all,” Rep. Hannah Kane of Shrewsbury said.
Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville added, “Carol, I’ll always keep in my heart our time together in the legislature and in Lisbon, sharing your battle scar wounds from serving as MTA’s president during prop 2.5′s passage. Thank you for being a powerful advocate, a legislator of integrity and sincerity, and a kind friend and classmate. Miss you.”
Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell, whom Doherty succeeded in the House, said, “Carol was a proud Tauntonian and lifelong champion of students and education. She supported and gave back to our community in countless ways over her extraordinary lifetime. It was an honor to work alongside Carol on issues important to our community.”
Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy called Doherty a “lifelong champion for public education.”
“Even in her final weeks, Carol was fighting to improve the lives of public sector workers, leading efforts to ensure a dignified retirement by advocating for greater transparency in 403(b) retirement plans,” Page and McCarthy said. “Beyond her leadership, Carol was deeply compassionate and unfailingly generous. She had a way of making everyone she spoke with feel seen and valued. We are deeply grateful that Carol brought her perspective as an educator to the decision-making bodies overseeing public education. Her legacy lives on in the 117,000 members of the MTA and the countless Massachusetts students who benefited from her unwavering advocacy.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
