Chicago Area Policeman - Sig Ep - Laid to Rest

Officer Patrick Barnard, a Sig Ep who attended Eastern Illinois University (IL Nu) was killed when he stopped to help a stranded motorist.

Barnard, 30, was headed to his family's Tremont home for Thanksgiving when he stopped along Interstate 55 in McLean County to assist another driver. But he was struck by a vehicle that did not stop and pronounced dead at 1:35 a.m. Thursday.

The Crestwood resident, an officer with the Burbank Police Department in Cook County, was off duty, just as his father, Michael Righi, had been in 1977 when he was shot to death outside a Pekin bowling alley at age 33.
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"He instigated more trouble and brought out the wild side in everyone," said Shane Ramsey, a Sigma Phi Epsilon member with Barnard at Eastern Illinois University.

Ramsey said Barnard was the type of person who would, without warning, tell him "that he loved me."

"Anyone else in this world, I'd ask them how much they were drinking," Ramsey said to laughter. He added, "It didn't matter if you were in a bad mood, whenever he showed up, he'd brighten your day."

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