Chicago Bears principal owner Virginia McCaskey has passed away at the age of 102
The Chicago Bears announced on Thursday that principal owner Virginia McCaskey passed away at the age of 102.Virginia was the daughter of team founder George Halas and was the longest-tenured owner of an NFL franchise. She was born January 5, 1923. After her brother, George Halas Jr. died in 1979, Virginia inherited the Bears following […]
The Chicago Bears announced on Thursday that principal owner Virginia McCaskey passed away at the age of 102.
Virginia was the daughter of team founder George Halas and was the longest-tenured owner of an NFL franchise. She was born January 5, 1923. After her brother, George Halas Jr. died in 1979, Virginia inherited the Bears following her father's death in 1893.
“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,” the family said. “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans.”
After her father's death, Virginia named her husband Ed as the team's chairman, with their son Michael being named the Bears’ president/CEO. Michael was moved to chairman in place of his father. Michael later retired in 2010, with the other son, George taking over the role in 2011.
In 2014, George famously noted that Virginia was "pissed off" about the state of the team after the Bears fired general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman. Following the 2024 season, George addressed the media and took the blame for the recent failures the team went through on the field.
"The legacy of George Halas is excellence on the field and making a difference off the field. I think the Bears have done a great job off the field making an impact in the community, fact of the matter is, we haven't done it on the field and ultimately, that's on me," McCaskey said.
Years ago, George noted that the franchise will have a succession plan in place in the event Virginia passes away, but no details where shared beyond that. The expectation is that the team will remain in the family in some capacity.
The passing of Virginia McCaskey will of course lead to many conversations about the future of the franchise and the ownership. Those discussions can take place at a later date. For now, our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire family.
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