Prairie State Wire

Illinois' longest-serving former Gov. James Thompson, who died on Aug. 14, was remembered as a caring man who made great contributions to the state during his tenure.

Thompson, 84, had been confined to a wheelchair and spent weeks recovering at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after a fall at his daughter’s house. He was being treated at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Current Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a CNN Politics report that Thompson will be considered one of the state's greatest governors.

Former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson | Wikipedia

"On behalf of the entire state of Illinois, I offer deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Gov. Jim Thompson,” Pritzker said in a statement provided to CNN. “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."

Thompson, a Republican, was first elected governor in 1976 and was reelected to four straight terms, leaving office in 1991. He had a history of public service before becoming governor, serving as a U.S. attorney for the State of Illinois, and had been a lawyer for the prestigious law firm of Winston & Strawn in Chicago.

A retrospective in the Chicago Sun-Times said Thompson was a man loved by his family and who had made legions of friends over the years.

“His friendships were worldwide and forever,” Dan Webb was quoted in the Sun-Times report. Webb, a noted attorney, had been one of many lawyers hired by Thompson during his years in office.

“He was my mentor,” Webb recalled. “I don’t think I’ve made an important decision in my entire life that I haven’t talked to him about first.”

Former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn said Thompson’s achievements included rooting out and cleaning up cronyism and political corruption in Illinois, both as a governor and federal prosecutor.

“From the time he signed the Political Honesty Initiative — to stop legislative conflicts of interest, double-dipping, and advance pay for politicians — when he was first running for governor in 1976, Gov. Jim Thompson stood for cleaning up corruption in Illinois politics and government,” Quinn said in a statement to the Sun-Times. “As U.S. attorney, he brought to justice scores of corrupt public officials. As governor of Illinois for a record 14 years, Jim Thompson always remained true to his conscience and convictions.

"For the past four decades, he has strengthened the annual conference of U.S. Midwestern states with the people and businesses of Japan, an international legacy of friendship that created and maintained thousands of jobs in Illinois,” Quinn continued. “The people of Illinois owe a permanent debt of gratitude to Gov. James R. ‘Big Jim’ Thompson.”