LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Virginia Halas McCaskey, the principal owner of the NFL’s Chicago Bears and the only daughter of franchise founder George Halas, died on Thursday, the team announced. She was 102.
McCaskey had owned the Bears since her father’s death on Oct. 31, 1983, ESPN reported.
“While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth,” McCaskey’s family said in a statement. “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans.”
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 6, 2025
The death of McCaskey’s only brother, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., of a heart attack in 1979 left her as the sole heir to the franchise that was founded in 1920, the Chicago Tribune reported.
She and her husband Ed raised a family of 11 in a modest house in Des Plaines, Illinois, according to the newspaper. Tim McCaskey, a Bears vice president, died in 2011 and Michael McCaskey, died in 2020, both from cancer.
“I probably live in the smallest house of any NFL executive, but that’s what Ed and I were comfortable doing,” Virginia McCaskey told the Tribune. “That was our lifestyle and now I’m able to stay in that house by myself with wonderful neighbors and Anne is a block away.”
During her stewardship, the Bears won Super Bowl XX in January 1986 and lost a second one 21 years later, ESPN reported.
McCaskey’s official title was secretary to the board of directors, the cable sports network reported. Despite her generally hands-off approach and low public profile, she occasionally exercised ultimate authority on team decisions as the family’s matriarch.
McCaskey stepped into the spotlight for a final time during the Bears’ celebration of their 100th season in June 2019, according to the Tribune. She shared memories of her father, along with players and coaches who played in Chicago for a century.
“I’m still trying to find words for what they’ve meant to me,” McCaskey said at the time. “It has made me even more grateful for what my life has been and the position I’m in. There are so many privileges and perks and blessings. I just can’t believe that I’m here and I’m enjoying life at my age the way I am.”
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