These days, it’s hard to get Mainers to agree about almost anything.

But the grief expressed in the wake of the death of Bill Diamond, a former secretary of state and state senator, transcended party lines, reminding us that politics doesn’t have to be ugly.

Though he was helpful with a story or two, I didn’t know Diamond well. I did, however, see his colleagues treat him like a celebrity, a person whose words were worth hearing and whose ideas were worth weighing.

Diamond’s civility and reach ought to serve as a model for Maine’s leaders.

Most good politicians manage to focus on one or two key issues — precious few show the breadth of interests that absorbed Diamond, let alone the energy he brought to anything he cared about, from ballot security to a ban on cell phone use while driving.

Most prominently, Diamond pushed for years to provide better protection for children, challenging the system and pushing for its reform. He created a nonprofit, Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, to bolster the effort.

Republican gubernatorial candidate David Jones of Falmouth said he was “absolutely certain no one will ever be able to find an ill word or thought” about Diamond, a longtime Democrat.

Republican state Rep Will Tuell of East Machias said Diamond “was one of a kind because he was kind, genuine and sincere, a person who earned the respect from both sides of the aisle because he worked with anyone who wanted to work with him.”

A lawmaker from Windham, Diamond was best known for his focus on protecting Maine’s children, perhaps the result of his years as an educator.

Conservative radio talk show host Ray Richardson, who rarely if ever hails a Democrat, called Diamond “a giant among men, the one true statesman in Maine in my 40 years here.”

“Bill was an example for all of us, of what we pray we might be at our best,” said Bobby Charles, a GOP gubernatorial hopeful from Leeds.

“What always struck me was his commitment to public service,” said U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat. He recalled Diamond as “old-school,” a man who “cared about doing his homework and doing what he thought was right. He worked with others, sought compromise and treated those around him with respect.”

Former state Rep. Diane Russell, a champion of progressive issues, said that she and Diamond “disagreed so damn often,” but “every time we saw each other, our faces lit up. I absolutely treasured Bill.”

Even Paul LePage, the former governor who could snarl at a kitten, had kind words for Diamond, calling the ex-lawmaker “a tremendous man who dedicated years of his life to public service” and noting that Diamond’s advocacy for children “will never be forgotten.”

The decency Diamond brought to the legislative process, seeking allies from any political party, is something Maine’s leaders should emulate. If we work together, Diamond proved, we can help the most vulnerable among us — and maybe get some other work done, too.

Diamond will be missed not just for what he accomplished, but for who he was: a leader who demonstrated that what we have in common is more important than what divides us.