Setti Warren died unexpectedly Sunday, Nov. 2, of natural causes at his home in Newton. Setti was a tireless public servant and believed deeply in the power of government to be a force for good. He was a Catholic who drew strength from his faith and from the Jesuit teachings that he learned at Boston College. But most important, Setti was a husband and father who loved his family more than anything in the world. He spent hours helping his daughter Abigail study for her AP US history exam, drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of American History. He wore his “Volleyball Dad” sweatshirt to cheer on his son John on the court, embarrassingly loudly and enthusiastically. And he loved his wife Tassy, who was his person, his best friend and chief confidant and advisor.
Most recently Setti was the Director of the Institute of Politics and Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to that, he was executive director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. He previously served as mayor of Newton, Massachusetts from 2010 to 2018 and was the first African American to be a popularly elected mayor in Massachusetts. He knocked on 11,000 doors as part of his first campaign - talking directly to voters about what mattered to them and how he could make this community that he cared about so deeply a model of good city government and a community where everyone had the opportunity to thrive. He was most proud of the work he did behind the scenes, meeting with families and constituents and helping them through the challenging times in their lives. He transformed the landscape of Newton - building housing, schools and commercials spaces. He opened up city government - holding over 30 town halls. He talked to every voter and answered every question. He was a tireless supporter of the Newton Public Schools and public education generally. He made hard decisions - he put a tax override on the ballot in his reelection year because he knew it was the right thing for the city. He told people why it was necessary and asked for their trust - and all three overrides passed and he was re-elected with 72% of the vote.
Before serving in elected office, Setti had an extensive career in public service, serving as special assistant in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs for President Bill Clinton; White House Events Director working closely with First Lady Hillary Clinton; as New England director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and as deputy state director for Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA). He was the trip director for John Kerry’s Presidential campaign in 2004 where he met his wife, Tassy. He learned about campaigns and what values-based governing looks like from his first mentor Governor Michael Dukakis. The underlying principles that drove his public service came from his father Joseph Warren.
Prior to running for mayor, Warren completed a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq as a naval intelligence specialist. He served on the advisory board of the United States Conference of Mayors, chairing the organization's community housing and development committee, and is currently a life member of The Council on Foreign Relations. Warren graduated from Newton North High School where he was the class president all four years. He received his B.A. from Boston College where he was the student body president and J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
He loved cycling and rode in the Pan Mass Challenge for 15 years. He loved watching BC play football and basketball. He was a devoted - some might say obsessive - Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox fan. He loved the ocean, spending time on Martha’s Vineyard with his family and reading incredibly long and boring history textbooks while sitting on the beach.
More than anything Setti believed that you fight for what you believe in, for those who cannot fight for themselves and that it’s important to step up. He modeled that in every area of his life and will be deeply missed.
He is survived by his wife Tassy, children Abigail and John, sister Makeda Warren Keegan and her husband Jesse and son Alexander, mother Elpidia Lopez, stepmother Martha Warren, step siblings Keir and Lea Walker and many others who loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his father Joseph Warren and sister Kara Warren.
A wake will be held at Newton City Hall in the War Memorial, 1000 Commonwealth Ave, from 4-7:30pm on Thursday Nov 6 and a Funeral Mass will be held on Friday Nov 7th at 10:30am in Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 573 Washington St, Newton. His family wishes his burial to be private.
Please refrain from sending flowers and instead consider making a donation to the Newton Food Pantry or Soldier On.