Virginia McCaskey, who inherited the Chicago Bears from her father, George Halas, however averted the highlight throughout four-plus a long time as principal proprietor, has died. She was 102.
McCaskey’s household introduced by way of the group that she died Thursday. She had owned the Bears since her father’s dying on Oct. 31, 1983.
“Whereas we’re unhappy, we’re comforted figuring out Virginia Halas McCaskey lived an extended, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth,” the household stated. “She guided the Bears for 4 a long time and based mostly each enterprise resolution on what was greatest for Bears gamers, coaches, workers and followers.”
Like her father, a co-founder of the NFL, McCaskey stored the group in household fingers. She gave operational management and the title of president to her eldest son, Michael McCaskey, who served as chairman till being succeeded by brother George McCaskey in 2011.
Throughout her stewardship, the Bears gained a Tremendous Bowl in 1986 and misplaced a second 21 years later.
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“Virginia Halas McCaskey, the matriarch of the Chicago Bears and daughter of George Halas, the founding father of the NFL, leaves a legacy of sophistication, dignity, and humanity,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated in an announcement. “Religion, household, and soccer — in that order — have been her north stars and he or she lived by the straightforward adage to all the time ‘do the suitable factor.’ The Bears that her father began meant the world to her, and he could be pleased with the best way she continued the household enterprise with such dedication and keenness. Our ideas and prayers exit to the McCaskey and Halas households and Bears followers all over the world.”
4 of McCaskey’s sons stay with the Bears’ board of administrators: George, Patrick, Brian and Ed. A current valuation by Forbes.com pegged the group’s price at $6.4 billion.
McCaskey, the older of Halas’ two youngsters, by no means anticipated to seek out herself in cost. Her brother, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., was being groomed to take over the group, however died immediately of a coronary heart assault in 1979.
McCaskey assumed possession upon her father’s dying in 1983, and her late husband, Ed McCaskey, succeeded Halas as chairman. Not lengthy after, she turned over management to Michael, the eldest of her 11 youngsters.
“I feel it’s necessary that each one of our household remembers that we actually haven’t accomplished something to earn this,” McCaskey stated in a uncommon interview in 2006. “We’re simply the recipients of an incredible legacy. I exploit the phrase ‘custodian,’ and we need to cross it on one of the simplest ways we will. … We’ve been engaged on that for a very long time.”
McCaskey’s official title was secretary to the board of administrators. Regardless of her usually hands-off strategy and low public profile, she sometimes exercised final authority on group choices as matriarch of the household.
A kind of concerned a 1987 lawsuit introduced by the youngsters of “Mugs” Halas, which was resolved by a inventory buyout of their shares. A newer reminder got here in December 2014, when George McCaskey introduced the firings of coach Marc Trestman and normal supervisor Phil Emery at a information convention, and was requested to explain his mom’s position within the course of.
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He paused, struggling to explain her unhappiness with the just-ended 5-11 season, and the group’s usually fading fortunes.
“She’s pissed off,” George McCaskey stated. “I can’t consider a 91-year-old girl that that description would apply, however on this case, I can’t consider a extra correct description.
“Virginia McCaskey has been on this earth for eight of the Bears’ 9 championships, and he or she desires extra,″ he added a second later. “She feels that it’s been too lengthy because the final (Tremendous Bowl win), and that dissatisfaction is shared by her youngsters, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. She’s fed up with mediocrity. She feels that she and Bears followers in all places deserve higher.”
Virginia McCaskey got here by her fandom actually. Based on members of the family, she typically wouldn’t serve dessert on Sundays when the Bears misplaced. In that very same 2006 interview, she recalled attending the primary playoff sport in league historical past, when she was 9.
The Bears and Portsmouth Spartans completed the 1932 season within the first tie for first place, so the league added a sport to find out a champion. Due to snow, the sport was moved indoors to the outdated Chicago Stadium, the Bears gained 9-0 taking part in on an 80-yard subject that got here proper to the partitions.
“I bear in mind I didn’t save my ticket stub, however one in every of my cousins had saved his,” McCaskey stated. “We sat within the second balcony and the ticket worth was $1.25.
“I took it to one of many Tremendous Bowls to point out (former Commissioner) Pete Rozelle after which I don’t know what occurred to it afterward,” she added. “However that’s OK.”
Her tenure because the Bears’ proprietor included the institution of the Bears Care program in 2005. The Bears stated that Bears Care has issued grants totaling greater than $31.5 million to 225 qualifying businesses to enhance the standard of life for folks within the Chicago space, particularly deprived youngsters and their households. Bears Care additionally supported well being consciousness packages specializing in breast and ovarian most cancers.
McCaskey had 11 youngsters, eight sons and three daughters. She is survived by her sons Patrick (Gretchen), Edward Jr. (Kathy), George (Barbara), Richard, Brian (Barbara) and Joseph, and daughters Ellen (Barney) Tonquest, Mary and Anne (Mike) Catron. She can be survived by 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.