Patriots Longest Tenured Employee Dies

New England Patriots equipment manager Don Brocher, a Norton resident and the team's longest tenured employee, died Tuesday because of complications from leukemia.

The New England Patriots were in mourning Tuesday after learning that Don Brocher, the team’s equipment manager and longest tenured employee in franchise history, lost his season-long battle against leukemia early Tuesday morning. The 2012 season was his 41st with the Patriots. On Nov. 23, 2012 he celebrated his 60th birthday. “The Kraft family and the entire Patriots organization awoke with very heavy hearts this morning,” said Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft Tuesday. “That is when most of us learned of Don’s passing. He had fought this deadly disease so valiantly all season long. We were all optimistic that he would defeat it and fully recover. He was back on our sidelines just two weeks ago for our game against the 49ers and I …

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