Chris Walsh's Name May Grace New Framingham Fuller Middle School

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Future Fuller Middle School students might someday perform under the watch of former Framingham state lawmaker Chris Walsh.

Framingham School Committee Chair Adam Freudberg said Thursday he'll pursue naming either the auditorium or amphitheater at the under-construction Fuller Middle School after Walsh. He died in 2018 at age 66 after a battle with cancer.

Walsh, who worked as an architect, helped design the new Fuller building as part of the School Building Committee.

"Chris was a founding member of the Building Committee, helping to design the building with an equity lens, and ensured spaces like the science labs, auditorium and outdoor spaces were prioritized for inclusion," Freudberg said in a Facebook post.

Freudberg also noted Walsh was his mentor, and encouraged him to run for school board.

Walsh was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2017 and died about one year later in May. State Rep. Maria Robinson now holds his 6th Middlesex District seat.

The new $98.3 million middle school is slated to open in the fall. The district will begin tearing down the old 1958 building this winter.

Freudberg's naming proposal will be up for discussion at the June 2 Framingham School Committee meeting. The committee will also discuss names for other facilities and features at the new Fuller school, including benches.