Chicago Bears Majority Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Dies at 102

Virginia McCaskey speaks at the Ring of Excellence ceremony for Brian Urlacher's recent induction into the Hall of Fame at Soldier Field in Chicago, on Sept. 17, 2018. Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Virginia Halas McCaskey, the principal owner of the Chicago Bears who was nicknamed “first lady of the NFL,” died on Feb. 6 at age 102.

The franchise announced the news in a press release in which it noted how influential she was in every decision that the team made.

“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.”

McCaskey is a daughter of the Bears’ co-founder and original owner, George “Papa Bear” Halas. He established the Bears, who were originally known as the Decatur Staleys, and they have been around since the NFL’s inaugural season in 1920. When he died from cancer in 1983, McCaskey succeeded him as owner and had been in charge ever since.

During the 2024 NFL season, McCaskey was one of just four female majority owners in the league, alongside Sheila Ford Hamp (Detroit Lions), Gayle Benson (New Orleans Saints) and Amy Adams Strunk (Tennessee Titans). There are also three female co-owners in Kim Pegula, with husband Terry Pegula (Buffalo Bills); Dee Haslam, with husband Jimmy Haslam (Cleveland Browns); Carol Davis, with son Mark Davis (Las Vegas Raiders); and Denise York, with husband John York (San Francisco 49ers).

It was former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue who would introduce McCaskey as the “first lady of the NFL” at various league functions. Tagliabue’s successor, Roger Goodell, released a statement on Thursday memorializing McCaskey.

“Virginia Halas McCaskey, the matriarch of the Chicago Bears and daughter of George Halas, the founder of the NFL, leaves a legacy of class, dignity and humanity,” the statement read. “Faith, family and football—in that order—were her north stars and she lived by the simple adage to always ‘do the right thing.’ The Bears that her father started meant the world to her and he would be proud of the way she continued the family business with such dedication and passion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the McCaskey and Halas families and Bears fans around the world.”

McCaskey generally kept a low profile, with a hands-off approach, as owner of the Bears but was behind every important decision the franchise made for the past 40-plus years. One of the most notable came after the Bears endured back-to-back 4–12 seasons in 1997 and 1998. Michael McCaskey, Virginia McCaskey’s oldest son, was team president at the time and in charge of football operations. However, after those two seasons, Virginia stripped her own son of many of his operational responsibilities and reassigned him within the franchise.

According to the Chicago Bears’ media guide, Virginia McCaskey attended every Bears game, both home and away, and was present at most press conferences. She also often presented the championship trophy—named after her father—to the winner of the NFC title game before their trip to the Super Bowl. Of the nine NFL championships that Chicago has won, including one Super Bowl, McCaskey witnessed eight of those seasons.

McCaskey was also involved in a number of charitable efforts involving the Bears and Greater Chicago. One of those, Bears Care, has donated millions of dollars to cancer research. Another is the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, named after the former Bears running back who died of cancer in 1971, two years after his last game with the team.

The Chicago Bears suffered through a 5–12 record in the 2024 season, despite the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and several other notable players. The season included a 10-game losing streak that ended in Week 18 when the Bears prevailed 24–22 over the Green Bay Packers, meaning that McCaskey’s final NFL game was a victory over the team’s biggest rival.

Other teams took time to acknowledge McCaskey’s death and what she meant to the league. That included the Minnesota Vikings, a divisional rival, plus the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants, which all posted messages on social media noting her impact on the NFL and extending condolences to the McCaskey family and the Bears.

In the near future, the Bears will announce their new controlling owner, and one can expect that whoever gets that role will be part of the Halas McCaskey family. Many of Virginia McCaskey’s children and grandchildren work for the team, and the seven-person board of directors consisted of Virginia and four of her relatives. Her son George currently serves as chairman of the board.