The Chicago Bears will begin to say their final goodbyes Tuesday to longtime team owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died last Thursday at 102.
Her visitation is happening from 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Oehler Funeral Home in Des Plaines.
A private funeral will be held Wednesday at Saint Emily Catholic Church in Mount Prospect.
Virginia Halas McCaskey was the principal owner of the Chicago Bears and the daughter of the team’s founder, George Halas. Born in 1923, she took over ownership of the franchise in 1983 after her father’s passing. She was the longest-tenured owner in the NFL and played a key role in maintaining her family’s legacy with the Bears. A devout Catholic and a dedicated football executive, she was widely respected in the sports world. She passed away in 2025 at the age of 102.
Like her father, a co-founder of the NFL, McCaskey kept the team in family hands. She gave operational control and the title of president to her eldest son, Michael McCaskey, who served as chairman until being succeeded by brother George McCaskey in 2011.
During her stewardship, the Bears won a Super Bowl in 1986 and lost a second 21 years
McCaskey, the older of Halas’ two children, never expected to find herself in charge. Her brother, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., was being groomed to take over the team, but died suddenly of a heart attack in 1979.
McCaskey assumed ownership upon her father’s death in 1983, and her late husband, Ed McCaskey, succeeded Halas as chairman. Not long after, she turned over control to Michael, the eldest of her 11 children.
McCaskey’s official title was secretary to the board of directors. Despite her generally hands-off approach and low public profile, she occasionally exercised ultimate authority on team decisions as matriarch of the family.
McCaskey had 11 children, eight sons and three daughters. She is survived by her sons Patrick, Edward Jr., George, Richard, Brian and Joseph, and daughters Ellen Tonquest, Mary and Anne Catron. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Leave a Reply