Bears principal owner Virginia Halas McCaskey has died. She was 102 years old.

The Bears made the announcement of her passing on Thursday morning.

“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 in a statement.  “She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans.” 

Virginia McCaskey has been the team’s owner since her father George Halas, the Bears former coach and founder, died in 1983. She oversaw the team’s ninth championship and first Super Bowl victory in 1985 and was alive for eight of the nine Bears championships.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement on behalf of the league:

“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. 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.”

She was the overseer of a franchise that was a founding component of the NFL and one that meant so much to the city of Chicago. She was born to Min and George Halas in 1923 and eventually married Edward McCaskey in 1943. She was a mother to 11 children.

According to the family statement, “Mrs. McCaskey had 11 children, 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. Her husband passed away in 2003.  Their son, Timothy, passed in 2011 and Michael passed in 2020. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame honored McCaskey in this social post:

This story will be updated.