(The Center Square) – Former Illinois Gov. James Thompson died late Friday at the age of 84, his family said.
Thompson was Illinois’ longest-serving governor. He was elected to the office four times, serving from 1977 to 1991.
Thompson had recently been suffering from heart problems, according to media reports.
“It was very sudden,” his wife, Jayne Thompson, told the Chicago Tribune. “I was told that his heart simply stopped.”
A Chicago native, he received his law degree from Northwestern University in 1959. Prior to serving as governor, he was an assistant Cook County state’s attorney. Later, President Richard Nixon appointed him U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
At 6 feet, 6 inches tall, he was known as “Big Jim.”
“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,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement released Saturday. “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.”
