To Aaron Goldman, former Mayor Setti Warren was like a brother. Now, Goldman is among many left coping with the news of Warren’s sudden death on Sunday.

“It’s a huge void that will never be replaced,” Goldman said. “He’s someone I spoke with every day, and usually multiple times a day. And it seems impossible that he could be gone, that we could even be having this conversation.”

Warren and Goldman worked together on U.S. Sen. John Kerry’s staff, and Goldman later helped Warren run his 2009 bid for mayor, which Warren won. Goldman stayed on to work in the mayor’s office throughout Warren’s two terms and had an up-close view of Warren’s leadership.

“He was just such an unbelievably dedicated public servant, and he set the bar really high,” Goldman said. “And he cared so much about people and just thrived on making a difference in people’s lives. And he was tireless. You know, for years, I felt like I was just trying to keep up with him, because he was just an absolutely tireless public servant.”

Warren took public service seriously and governed with laser focus, Goldman added.

“On a given day, the range of issues that he gave his attention to were extraordinary,” Goldman said “It could be really big picture things like the city budget or
development proposal or construction of a new school building, and and at the same time he would be just as attentive to a more ground-level concern like a like a broken street light or a trash barrel that had to be picked up. He really had his eye on everything, you know, because he knew that people cared about those things.”

The two later worked at Harvard at the same time. On a personal level, Goldman recalls a friend who was ready to do anything for people, even just make them laugh.

“He just looked out for me in so many ways, and he was just always there for me,” Goldman said. “He he was just extraordinarily kind and caring person. He had a great sense of humor. He loved to laugh. We had a lot of laughs. In between the challenging and stressful moments, there were a lot of laughs.”

And his greatest joy was found at home.

“More than anything else, he just absolutely adored his family,” Goldman said. “He just loved his wife and his two children so much, and he talked about them all the time, right up until just this past week, when we last met. He was always gushing about his children, and spoke so lovingly about his wife. He was a really, really devoted family man,”

SERVICES: Calling hours for Warren are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, from 4 to 7:30 p.m.at Newton City Hall and War Memorial. There will be a funeral Mass on Friday, Nov. 7, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 573 Washington St. Burial will be private.

Mayor Setti Warren with friend and top aide Aaron Goldman. Courtesy photo