Family Of Fallen State Trooper Mourns Loss Of Lifelong 'Hero' Ahead Of Funeral Services

CHAMPAIGN, IL — The family of the state trooper who died last week in a line-of-duty crash issued a statement thanking the community for its support and sharing details of his funeral services.

Thompsen, 28, was killed after an unlicensed 32-year-old Thomasboro woman failed to yield to his motorcycle at a stop sign, authorities said. Family members said they are mourning the loss of a husband, son, brother and a friend.

"To the public, he became a hero on October 18th, when he was killed in the line of duty. To his family, he has always been a hero," his family said in the statement.

"Our world has been shattered, and we will never be the same," they said. "But we take comfort in knowing that he lived life to the fullest, he loved his family and friends deeply, and he died doing what he loved."

Thompson's family also shared a passage from the Bible, quoting Matthew 5:9: "'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.'"

A visitation is scheduled for Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, with a first responder walk-through at 5 p.m.

Thompsen's funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Faith United Methodist Church, located at 1719 S. Prospect in Champaign. Burial will take place at Patterson Cemetery in St. Joseph.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Trooper Corey S. Thompsen Scholarship Fund at any University of Illinois Credit Union branch. The scholarship will support St. Joseph-Ogden High School students pursuing careers in criminal justice.

"We could never begin to thank law enforcement or the thousands from our community who have reached out to us to express their love and support," they said.

Thompsen joined the Illinois State Police in 2020 and served nearly five years, including time with the Special Operations Group and Fatal Four team. He was based at Troop 7 in Pesotum.

ISP Director Brendan Kelly expressed his grief, calling Thompsen’s death a devastating loss for the department and his family.

"This is the first, and I hope the last, trooper who I’ve personally administered the oath of an ISP officer to that I’ve lost in a line-of-duty death," Kelly said.

Gov. JB Pritzker ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff statewide in Thompsen's honor. The governor said the trooper "should have had a long life of service ahead of him."

Thompsen is survived by his wife, Chelsea, his parents, Susan and Steve, and his brothers. He was a graduate of St. Joseph-Ogden High School in St. Joseph, where he will be remembered during the upcoming visitation services.

State police and Thompsen's family encouraged members of the public to line the route of the funeral procession as a show of support.

Earlier: Crash That Killed Illinois State Trooper On Motorcycle Leads To Ticket For Truck Driver