Aret Nahum Carlsen
Aret Nahum Carlsen, 37, died at his home in Groton, Massachusetts, on November 10th, 2021, after a long run against cancer.
Aret, born in Cheney, Kansas, on April 11, 1984, was a gentle giant, a strong-willed, inquisitive, yet innocent soul, a traveler, inventor, mathematician, scientist, problem solver, and dedicated aquarium hobbyist. Always late, never early, yet even so, people loved him all the same. He completed dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Computer Science in 2008 at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He relocated to Wichita, Kansas, from 2008 to 2011, and thereafter to Groton, Massachusetts.
He will be remembered for his careful and kind temperament, his epic beard, his willingness to learn, and as an affable companion. The master of the silver-linings playbook.
He is survived by his siblings and their spouses: Leif Carlsen and wife Tori; Autumn Brubaker (Carlsen) and husband Craig; Svein Carlsen and wife Anais; in addition to their children and a vast extended family; his parents Gavin and Neil Carlsen; his wife Daisy Carlsen; his beloved fishes; and a cat, Lola.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the brainiacs at Massachusetts General Hospital who helped us during Aret’s cancer treatment: Dr. Colin Weekes and the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, his dear nurse Diane Johnson, and Laurie Miller.
We would also like to thank those among family and friends who ‘showed up,’ whether it be physically, emotionally, or otherwise, especially when the statistics were grim, and we all fought anyway: Allison Connery; Jerret Ross; Andy (AJ) Mullen; Lexi Halaby; Naomi King; and the Tarrant clan Kevin, Julie, Danielle, and Deborah Tarrant.
Finally, we want to thank his dearly cherished colleagues, fellow engineers, and friends at Veoneer/Autoliv, including Laura Ludwig, Stephen Osgood, and Andy Whitaker. His family at Veoneer supported Aret with incredible kindness, especially during his illness, and that support allowed him to fully realize his passions and talents with radar and automation. We are deeply grateful to the entire Veoneer family as they helped him to achieve his life’s dream, which was to work on self-driving cars.
Aret has requested no services. The best way to honor Aret is to keep your head in the clouds for a day, just as he did (sometimes on another planet, it seemed), and see where your heart takes you.
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Beautifully done. Aret couldn’t have been better- described. We know his pain is over now and he can rest. We have hope to see his smiling, gentle self again.
Dear Daisy, We’ve never known a more loving, kind, attentive wife. Not to mention hardworking!! Built a pergola, gazebo, put a hot tub in for him and became an amazing cook and caretaker. Why, you even passed the same loving kindnesses and consideration to us. You actively kept us posted about Aret and that took much of your time and effort. Because of this, we didn’t have to worry or fear about the unknown regarding our son. Thank you, thank you, Daisy. We love you and admire you. We will keep you in our hearts and minds and we will be here for you.
Daisy, my heartfelt condolences go out to you and your family. No words can truly express how deeply sorry I am for your loss. I considered Aret part of my family (the brother I never had) and I loved him dearly. If there is anything I can do for you please just let me know.
Aret was a kind and gentle soul. He had a positive impact on everyone he met. Everyone reached out to Aret for advice and guidance. He was always there to help someone and if he didn’t know the answer, he would always respond that he would buy a book and read up on it over the weekend. He never stopped learning. I will treasure our long conversations whether they were about a technical challenge, philosophical, or even on the best way to pack luggage for efficiency and reduced wrinkles. I know from our talks how much he loved you Daisy and how important you were to him. Every time he talked about you his whole body softened and a smile came into his eyes.
Aret always tried to make the people around him feel better with little acts of kindness. I remember one year in December, I had been traveling a lot to Germany. When I went back into the Lowell office and docked my PC, a strand of Christmas lights illuminated. I looked around to figure out why they lit up when I started my PC and saw that they were plugged into a USB port on the docking station. I knew immediately it had to be Aret as only he would find lights powered by USB – he loved his gadgets. When I went down to his office to thank him and ask why, he said he wanted to add something festive and cheerful to my desk to welcome me back. I will never forget that moment. I will also never forget last holiday season when we were all isolated due to Covid, finding an unexpected package on my doorstep. It was an advent calendar. Aret had sent one to me and one to Steve as well as himself. He said this way we can virtually spend time together and that during our lunch talks we could discuss what was behind each days door.
We never truly lose the people we love. They live with us in our hearts for the rest of our lives. Aret will always be in my heart. I will take Daisy’s advice and honor his memory by keeping my head in the clouds and dream.
So incredibly sorry for your loss. Aret was such a kind smart colleague. He will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to you.
I am very sorry for our loss. Our prayers are with you and your family.
I worked with Aret at Veoneer for several years. We worked on many projects together and every time I had a meeting with him, I was always looking forward to it because I know I will learn something from him and we will have a meaningful conversation. One time (in early 2019) we were brainstorming something in my office and he wrote down his thoughts on the whiteboard. It was so detailed and informative that I never erased it and every time I looked at it, I thought of that conversation and him. I left that conversation on that board until I left Veoneer few weeks ago.
Aret was truly a great person. Very humble and down to earth. I enjoyed every moment I spent with him at work. Its still hard for me to believe that he is no longer with us. I will always remember him for who he was and what he has done for me.
So sorry to hear of Aret’s passing. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. He was definitely a gentle giant. One of the kindest souls I have ever met.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Although I wasn’t as close as Laura, I worked with Aret until my retirement 3 years ago. He was talented, helpful and kind. He was easy to work with and talk to. He will be missed.
So sorry about your loss.
I worked with Aret, albeit from Veoneer in Germany, for many years and was always enormously impressed by his intelligence, thoughtfulness, fairness and levelheadedness. He will be greatly missed both professionally and personally.
It was always a pleasure to chew the fat with Aret. I last met him at a meeting we had near Neuschwanstein Castle which included a long hike and fine dining, both of which he very much enjoyed. Despite the overnight flight, his eyes were as wide and focused as ever throughout the day and evening.
He phoned me a few weeks ago and we spent an hour solving the coronavirus pandemic and international relations in general, before he realized his next meeting was about to begin and that he hadn’t even told me the reason for his call, which we had to cover in the last 3 minutes!
I doff my hat to you sir and wish you a safe journey.
I am very sorry for your loss. Aret is the one of the best engineers who I have ever been worked with. He is such a smart and nice guy. We have joined so many taskforces, even under that high pressure Aret could always keep on smiling and focusing on solving the issue. Aret, you have never left us, we will remember you forever!