Brigham and Women’s Hospital mourns the loss of Michael Besly, a medical assistant in the Urgent Care Center in Foxborough, who died suddenly on March 6. He was 61.

Before joining the Foxborough Urgent Care team three years ago, Mr. Besly served as a patient care associate in Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s Emergency Department for approximately 20 years. Across both institutions, colleagues remembered his sunny personality, profound kindness and extraordinary commitment to his patients, their loved ones and his colleagues.

“Mike was extremely dedicated to his job and team. He arrived early for every shift, enjoying his coffee and quiet time. We would joke about taking in the quiet before the storm. He lived in the present each day — remaining calm and fully committed to being an exemplary role model,” said Laura Graham, practice manager for the Urgent Care Center. “Continuously positive no matter what the situation may be, Mike had an admirable heart full of compassion. I am grateful for the many opportunities I have had observing and experiencing his kindness. His presence will tremendously be missed.”

Urgent care nurse Lori Porazinski, LPN, worked closely with Mr. Besly during their many shifts together. Through warmth and wit, he was skilled at quickly establishing a rapport with patients and understanding what they needed in that moment, she said.

“No matter how busy we were, he gave every patient his full attention when he was with them, while being efficient with his work,” Porazinski said. “All the patients loved him. He would go as slowly as he needed with the seniors and crouch down to play with the kids.”

His tenderness and compassion also stood out to Urgent Care Center nurse Kathleen DiIeso, LPN. “Mike was a gentle giant — kind and gracious to all,” she said. “He loved to escort the ‘older’ ladies to X-ray as if they were attending prom.”

Mr. Besly was seemingly immune to the pressures of working in a fast-paced environment like urgent care, said Jill Simpson, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, nurse manager for the Urgent Care Center.

“He never had a complaint, always had a smile and was consistently upbeat even on the most stressful of days,” she said. “It really was incredible to work alongside someone with his attitude; it’s so rare, and every interaction with him just made your day better. He had a special joke or a funny story for everyone he passed throughout the day, as if his job was to bring a smile to others — and he did, always.”

Medical assistant Julie Eliasson fondly remembered the bond she had with Mr. Besly, sharing what she described as a “mutual sassiness” and love of laughter.

“I will never forget during one particularly difficult shift how we decided that we would try to ‘out silly’ each other, and we ended up singing to each other every time we passed by,” she said. “Mike was my work dad. He always had great advice, and he was kind to and supportive of everyone. He was truly one of a kind.”

Mr. Besly’s unwavering positivity and strong work ethic left a lasting impression on Porazinski as well.

“He was just such a constant positive light in our department — always, not just sometimes. If someone was down that day, he was the guy who was going to pull them up. He was the shining star of our department,” she said. “He was one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met in my life. He was so dedicated and held so much pride in the work that he did. He made everybody else better around him.”

Donna Collins, PA-C, assistant medical director for the Urgent Care Center, agreed. “It was such a sad loss for us,” she said. “Mike was such a diligent worker — never complained, always calm and kind.”

A proud veteran of the U.S. Marines Corps, Mr. Besly continued to pursue a life of service through volunteer work in his community. Colleagues also fondly remembered him as a man of many talents and interests outside of work, including a fervent love of Boston sports, an encyclopedic knowledge of history and a gift for gardening.

Mr. Besly is survived by his sons, Derek Besly and his fiancée, Amber Hoisington, of Dennisport, and Tyler Besly of South Yarmouth; his two sisters, Robin Johnson and Cindy Fanning; brothers-in-law Bob Fanning and Timothy Duffy; and many more loved ones. He was predeceased by his parents, Christine and Zenas Besly, and sister Kate Duffy.