Virginia Halas McCaskey, owner and matriarch, dies in 102

Lake Forest, ill. (AP) – Virginia Halas McCaskey, which he inherited Chicago Bears From her father, George Halas, but she avoided headlights for four decades as the main owner, he died. She was 102 years old.

McCaskey’s family announced by the team that she died on Thursday. She was the owner of the Bear since her father’s death on October 31, 1983.

“Although we are sad, we are comforting, knowing that Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, full of faith life and is now with the love of her life on earth,” the family said. “She ran bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for players, coaches, staff and fans.”

Like her father, co -founder of the NFL, McCaskey held the team in his family hands. She gave operational control and the title of president of her eldest son, Michael McCaskey, who was the chairman until he followed his brother George McCaskey in 2011.

Virginia McCaskey inherited the property of the Bear in 1983 after her father’s death, Hall of Famer and the founder of the band George Halas. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

While managing the bear, she won the Super Bowl in 1986 and lost the second 21 years later.

McCaskey, the older of two children’s Halas, never expected that he would not be responsible. Her brother, George “Mubs” Halas Jr., was prepared to take over the band, but suddenly died of a heart attack in 1979.

McCaskey took over his father’s death in 1983, and her deceased husband, Ed McCaskey, replaced Halas as the chairman. Soon after, she passed on to Michael, the oldest of her 11 children.

“I think it is important that our whole family remember that we did not really do anything to get it,” said McCaskey in a rare interview in 2006. “We are only the recipients of a huge heritage. I use the word “Custodian,” and we want to convey it in the best way.

The official title of McCaskey was the secretary of the board. Despite the general approach to a soulless approach and a low public profile, she occasionally performed the final authority in team decisions as a family matriarch.

One of the people who concerned the 1987 lawsuit lodged by the children of “cups” Halas, which were resolved by the purchase of shares. A newer reminder took place in December 2014, when George McCaskey announced the release of coach Marc Trestman and the general director of Phil Emery at a press conference and was asked to describe the role of his mother in this process.

He stopped, fighting to describe her misfortune with the 5-11 season just ended and the team’s generally disappearing fortunes.

“She is pissed,” said George McCaskey. “I can’t come up with a 91-year-old woman that this description will apply, but in this case I can’t come up with a more accurate description.

“Virginia McCaskey was on earth for eight of the nine Bears championships and wants more,” he added a moment later. “She thinks that it has passed too long (win in Super Bowl), and her children, her children, her dissatisfaction, her grandchildren and great -grandchildren. He is fed up with mediocrity. She feels that she and fans do not wear all over the world, deserve something better, deserve something better. . “

Virginia McCaskey honestly came to her fandom. According to family members, she often did not serve dessert on Sundays when the bears lost. In the same interview in 2006, she remembered how she participated in the first Playoff match in the history of the league, when she was 9 years old.

Bears and Portsmouth Spartans finished the 1932 season in the first draw in the first place, so the league added the match to determine the master. Because of the snow, the game was moved to the old Chicago stadium, Bears won 9-0 playing in the 80-jard field, which reached the walls.

“I remember that I did not save the ticket episode, but one of my cousins ​​saved him,” said McCaskey. “We sat in the second balcony, and the ticket price was $ 1.25.

“I took him to one of the Super Bowl to show (former Commissioner) Pete Rozelle, and then I don’t know what happened to it,” she added. “But that’s okay.”

Her term of office as the owner of Bears included the establishment of the Bear Care Program in 2005. Bears stated that the bear’s care issued subsidies with a total of over 31.5 million to 225 agencies qualifying to improve the quality of life of people in the Chicago area, especially children in an unfavorable situation and children their families. Bear care also supported health awareness programs focusing on breast and ovarian cancer.

McCaskey had 11 children, eight sons and three daughters. Her sons Patrick (Gretchen), Edward Jr. (Kathy), George (Barbara), Richard, Brian (Barbara) and Joseph and the daughters of Ellen (Barney) Tonquest, Mary and Anne (Mike) Catron. 21 grandchildren, 40 great -grandchildren and four great -grandchildren also survived it.