A Rhode Island school superintendent has died after his 18-month battle with brain cancer.
Chariho Regional Schools Supt. Barry Ricci was at school on Friday and died Sunday evening at the age of 62.
School leaders said Ricci was a no-nonsense educator who fought for his district, the Providence Journal reported.
Ricci's district included the towns of Charleston, Richmond and Hopkinton.
Thanks to Ricci schools are cleaner, education has improved, and there is more community in the schools, according to School Committee member Sylvia Stanley.
Ricci will leave a legacy hard to quantify, School Committee Chairman Ryan Callahan said. He added Ricci created a culture of healthy self-concepts, consideration of other viewpoints, and valuing and providing for all learning abilities.
"Barry will be missed as one of the great educational leaders of our state," said Tim Ryan, one of the leaders of the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association. "He never wavered in his belief (in) kids.... What kept him going was his love for public education."
