CHICAGO - James R. Thompson died at age 84 Friday night in Chicago. He had suffered heart problems, but his death was described as "very sudden." Thompson was one of Illinois' longest standing governors from January 1977 to January 1981.
Thompson was elected for four terms, but decided to join the Winston & Strawn Law Firm where he was chair for 13 years from 1993 to 2016.
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Governor J.B. Pritzker released the following statement on the passing of former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson:
“On behalf of the entire state of Illinois, MK and I offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Governor Jim Thompson. As the longest-serving governor in Illinois history, ‘Big Jim’ was known to treat people he encountered with kindness and decency. He dedicated himself to building positive change for Illinois, and he set an example for public service of which Illinoisans should be proud. He will be remembered and revered as one of the titans in the history of state government.” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider issued this statement about Thompson's death: “Today the Illinois Republican Party mourns the loss of a great leader in Illinois’ storied history. Governor “Big Jim" Thompson exemplified a state government that worked, treated others with legendary kindness, and created lasting positive change for Illinois over his 14 years as Governor. He helped send a corrupt Governor to jail as a prosecutor, rebuilt the state’s infrastructure, saved the White Sox, and presided over a healthy and prosperous Illinois. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jayne and his family at this time.” Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement regarding the passing of former Illinois Governor James “Big Jim” Thompson. “Governor Jim Thompson dedicated many years to serving the people of Illinois and working toward making our state a better place to live and work. My thoughts and prayers are with Jayne Thompson and all who knew and loved Governor Thompson.”
