NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Former Newton Mayor Setti Warren died unexpectedly at his home Sunday at the age of 55.
In a statement, Newtony Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said, “Setti loved Newton, the community where he grew up, and combined that love with a passion for public service and an unshakeable belief that government can be a force for good.
As Mayor of Newton for eight years from 2010 to 2018, he left a wonderful legacy. He conscientiously and deliberately served residents in all 13 villages of Newton and continuously worked across divides. He believed deeply in education and invested in the Newton Public Schools and its school buildings. He worked to spark the growth of Newton’s innovation economy. He reduced the City’s carbon footprint. He created a durable long-range transportation strategy. He kept the City’s finances strong.
Setti was charismatic. His smile lit up a room. He drew people to him and turned their energy into positive action. It makes total sense both that he was Class President at Newton North for four years and Student President at Boston College and that he became the first African-American popularly elected to serve as Mayor in Massachusetts.”
The statement continued, “Setti often spoke of his father, Joe, and thanked him for giving him an enduring belief in public service and the positive potential of government. He brought to his Mayoral duties the values and lessons he learned while serving President Bill Clinton and John Kerry, as well as FEMA and the U.S. Naval Reserve (including a tour in Iraq). He paid this forward to young people at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
His belief in public service and lifelong commitment to helping others was also driven by his abiding Catholic faith.
The center of Setti’s heart was his family. He loved his wife, Tassy, his children, his parents and stepparents, his siblings and his extended family. He adorned the Mayor’s office with drawings by Abigail and John and surrounded himself there with their photographs. He spoke of them all the time.
On behalf of the residents of Newton, I extend our sympathy to his wife Tassy, his children Abigail and John, his extended family and many friends – as well as from me and my husband Joe, our love.”
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