John Musante, the Town Manager of Amherst and a University of Massachusetts alumnus, died Sunday at the age of 53.

Musante had been appointed Town Manager in 2010, and had served as the town’s finance directo before that.

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of John Musante,” said Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg, who represents Amherst’s district in the State Senate, in a statement.

“Amherst has lost a true public servant who served several Western Massachusetts communities throughout his career,” he added. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy also credited Musante as a leader of Amherst’s community in a statement.

“John worked tirelessly for the people of Amherst, and he fostered partnerships with UMass that greatly strengthened the bonds of community,” he said. “We all know that John was a very proud UMass Amherst alumnus, a leader committed to having our students benefit and flourish as residents of our town.”

Amherst’s website called Musante’s death “a tremendous loss of a dedicated father and husband as well as a talented, highly respected and committed professional.”

As Town Manager, Musante was responsible for overseeing and coordinating the employees of the town of Amherst and administrating the town’s government. The Town Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer of Amherst, and is appointed by the Amherst Select Board.

Stuart Foster can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster