Chester “Chet” Szetela
Photo credit: City of Chicopee – Mayor’s Office
CHICOPEE — Public officials and offices across Chicopee mourned the loss of Chester “Chet” Szetela, a longtime School Committee member and pillar of the Chicopee community who passed away on Jan. 12 at 88 years old.
During the School Committee meeting on Jan. 21, Mayor John Vieau asked for a moment of silence for Szetela.
“We’re going to take of silence in honor of one of our colleagues, the beloved, the epitome of what it means to be a member of the Chicopee School Committee and to care and have so much passion about the school district and what we stand for,” Vieau said.
Superintendent Marcus Ware echoed the mayor’s sentiments and offered his condolences to School Committee member Susan Szetela-Lopes, one of Szetela’s children.
He continued, “I was happy to be a part of the celebration that they did but he will be sadly missed.”
The Chicopee mayor’s office made a Facebook post remembering Szetela, saying that he “was an extraordinary pillar of the Chicopee community whose legacy of service, compassion and dedication will never be forgotten.”
For more than 22 years, Szetela served on the Chicopee School Committee with a “deep sense of purpose and commitment,” according to the mayor’s office. His efforts “strengthened student achievement, expanded Advanced Placement opportunities, advanced bullying prevention initiatives, promoted curriculum innovation, and championed school safety and quality education for every child.”
Szetela stepped down from his at large School Committee position in October 2024 after serving on the School Committee for 22 years.
He was the first member of his family to graduate from college and received a bachelor’s in arts and master’s in education.
Aside from growing up and going to school in Chicopee, Szetela had over 40 years of experience as a teacher, counselor and administrator. He started his career in Chicopee Public Schools at Bellamy Middle School working as a school adjustment counselor. He spent 34 years with CPS.
He also has seven children, 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Szetela’s leadership and influence extended well beyond Chicopee, according to the mayor’s office. He was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, “a recognition that reflected his profound commitment to students, educators, and the integrity of public education.”
The mayor’s office also said he was always championing for teachers and staff, “always valuing their dedication and understanding the vital role they play in nurturing and guiding students.”
“As an educator for decades, Chet believed in children,” the mayor’s office said. “He understood that students are the future, and he devoted his life’s work to ensuring they were safe and always supported. His decisions were guided by what was best for students, and his legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched through his service.”
