Fellow Officers Lay Oak Forest Officer Jim Morrissy to Rest

A busy street in Orland Park came to a standstill Saturday morning outside Robert J. Sheehy & Sons Funeral Home as Oak Forest Police Officer James P. Morrissy as he was led to his final resting place at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

From Elmhurst to Chicago Heights, from the Illinois State Police to his friends in Oak Forest, hundreds of fellow officers gathered to honor his life and remember a co-worker, a husband, a father and a friend.

"To be a great police officer, you need to be a great man. Jim was a great man," Oak Forest Deputy Police Chief Timothy Kristin said as he eulogized Morrissy.

Officer Morrissy, 62, died of injuries he sustained in a crash Monday afternoon, March 17, as he responded to a police call. Morrissy, an Oak Forest resident, was with the department for more than 30 years. He is survived by a wife, Janice, and three sons, Kyle, Marc and Jake.

"Anytime a tragedy happens, an outpouring of support from the brotherhood of police officers come together," said Ed Johnson, a police officer representing Illinois COPS.

The brotherhood was evident as the funeral procession was longer than the eulogy. More than 80 departments represented as a caravan of more than 100 vehicles escorted Officer Morrissy's funeral procession.

As the hearse carrying the body of Officer Morrissy left, officers and family hugged and consoled each other.

"An outstanding officer. He worked as hard today as he did the first day he got on the job," Oak Forest Police Chief Greg Anderson told Patch.