Swampscott Police Officer Thomas Lucas died Thursday morning at the age of 48 following a battle with throat cancer.

Lucas served as a patrol officer for more than 20 years, first joining the Swampscott Police Department in the fall of 2002.

“Tom was the epitome of a community police officer, having touched the lives of so many people near and far,” the department said in a statement. “He will be remembered for his overwhelmingly positive personality and his ability to bring a smile to all, wherever he was.”

Retired Detective Ted Delano worked with Lucas for many years, and commended him for his fair and professional treatment of everyone he interacted with throughout his career.

“Whether you were on a parking complaint, a victim of a crime, or he arrested you, he always treated others as you would want to be treated,” Delano said. “Empathy is huge when you’re dealing with the community.”

Delano said that Lucas emphasized establishing relationships with Swampscott community members and that his relentless work ethic never wavered, even after his diagnosis.

“Whether it be health issues or working long hours, he never said no to a detail or an overtime,” Delano said.

Lifelong Swampscott resident and Big Blue Youth Football and Cheering President Brendan Greco first met Lucas in 2016 when they coached football together. Greco said that Lucas’ dedication to not only his two sons, Kyle and Dylan, but the entire town’s youth was always on full display.

“He was a real positive influence on the kids,” Greco said. “You’d hear his voice down the field every day for practice, you could hear Tom’s voice praising the kids louder than anyone.”

Greco added that Lucas still made it to every game this past year, despite his health issues.

Matt O’Neil also spent time coaching with Lucas, and said he respected his constantly optimistic attitude, even when his health was in decline.

“I think we can all learn something, because it could happen to any of us. Unfortunately, it happened to him. The way he handled it is incredible,” O’Neil said.

Both Greco and O’Neil recalled when Kyle Lucas gave a powerful speech about never giving up in honor of his father. By that point, Thomas Lucas’ ability to speak had been heavily hindered.

“I feel so bad for his two sons, he was a huge part of their life,” O’Neil said. “He was their hero, and I think over the last few years became a lot of our heroes.”