Virginia Halas McCaskey, owner of the Chicago Bears, passed away on Thursday at the age of 102, the team confirmed. The daughter of Bears founder and NFL co-founder George Halas, McCaskey became the team’s controlling owner after her father’s death in 1983. She oversaw the Bears’ Super Bowl XX victory in 1985 and was, at the time of her death, the longest-serving owner in North American sports.
Although she shied away from the spotlight, unlike prominent NFL owners such as Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, McCaskey was deeply involved in running the Bears for decades before passing on the responsibilities to her children in her later years.
In a statement on her passing, her family expressed their sorrow while finding comfort in knowing McCaskey led a full, faith-driven life and is now reunited with her late husband. They highlighted her four-decade leadership of the Bears, noting that her decisions were always made with the best interests of the players, coaches, staff, and fans at heart.
McCaskey had 11 children and made a controversial move in 1999 by firing her son Michael as the team’s president, replacing him with Ted Phillips, who held the position until 2023. Phillips was succeeded by Kevin Warren. Michael McCaskey, who passed away in 2020, later served as the Bears’ chairman until 2011 when he was succeeded by his brother George. Virginia McCaskey owned 20% of the team, with the remainder divided among her children and relatives. However, no clear succession plan has been made public.
Throughout her ownership, McCaskey made lasting impacts, including disbanding the Bears’ cheerleading squad, “The Honey Bears,” in 1986 because she deemed them “sexist and degrading to women.” Despite a history of mixed team performance, McCaskey was not shy about expressing her frustrations. After a disappointing 5-11 season in 2014, her son George McCaskey revealed that she was “pissed off” about the team’s struggles, a sentiment that resonated despite her age.
Though McCaskey was not initially expected to take the reins, a tragic family loss thrust her into the role. Her younger brother, George Jr., known as “Mugs,” was groomed to succeed their father but passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in 1979, just before Christmas. With her father’s death in 1983, Virginia, at 60, assumed control. One of George Sr.’s final decisions was hiring Mike Ditka as head coach, a move that led to the Bears’ Super Bowl victory just two years later.
Family drama also marked her tenure. In 1987, a legal battle erupted after George Jr.’s children sought a controlling stake in the team. McCaskey testified in court, underscoring her father’s concern for keeping the family’s ownership intact, a major reason for the reorganization. Despite the legal challenges, she maintained control of the Bears, stating in 2016 that the family would likely hold onto the team “until the second coming.”
McCaskey leaves behind nine children, 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
