Lakemoor police officer found dead in his Carol Stream home

A Lakemoor police officer was found dead in his Carol Stream home Wednesday, apparently due to natural causes, authorities said Friday.

Tom Schaffer, 52, an 11-year patrol officer on the Lakemoor police force, was supposed to be at work at 7 a.m. Wednesday, but when he hadn’t arrived a half-hour later, “we became concerned,” Chief David Godlewski said.

Lakemoor police contacted Carol Stream police to perform a well-being check, and that’s when they discovered Schaffer in his house, Godlewski said.

“We were reassured by the Carol Stream Police Department that nothing appeared to be suspicious,” Godlewski said. “The DuPage County coroner was furthering the investigation on their end, and nothing led us to believe that it was anything besides a natural cause of death.”

Schaffer, who had been in law enforcement since 1988, lived by himself.

Godlewski said the loss is especially hard for the seven-member Lakemoor Police Department.

“He always had a smile on his face. He would do anything to get the job done properly. He was a big part of the Lakemoor team. We’re a pretty close-knit team and we’re gonna miss him,” Godlewski said.

Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday at Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory, 950 S. Bartlett Road in Bartlett. A funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:15 a.m., with a Mass at 10 a.m. at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Carol Stream.