Virginia Halas McCaskey was the principal owner of the Chicago Bears from 1983 until her death in February 2025 at age 102. As the daughter of legendary founder George Halas, she became the NFL’s longest-tenured owner and oldest franchise owner in major American sports.
The Chicago Bears organization lost its matriarch on February 6, 2025, when Virginia Halas McCaskey passed away at 102 years old. For more than four decades, she guided one of football’s most storied franchises with quiet strength and unwavering dedication to her father’s legacy.
Her death marked the end of an era for a woman who had become the NFL’s longest-tenured owner and the oldest owner in all major league sports. Virginia Halas McCaskey wasn’t just a team owner. She was the living connection between modern professional football and its barnstorming roots.
This article explores her remarkable journey from an unexpected heir to a pioneering female owner who stewarded a billion-dollar franchise while raising 11 children and maintaining deep Catholic faith. Her story reveals the complexities of family succession, the weight of legacy, and what it takes to preserve tradition in professional sports.
The Daughter Who Wasn’t Supposed to Inherit
A Birth Certificate in Pencil
George Halas admitted in his 1979 autobiography that he had expected a son and didn’t even have a girl’s name prepared when Virginia was born on January 5, 1923. He left the name blank on her birth certificate and only later filled in “Virginia Marion” in pencil.
That uncertain beginning foreshadowed an ownership path no one anticipated. George Halas had initially intended for Virginia’s younger brother, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., to inherit the team and passed the presidency to him in 1963. For nearly three decades, Mugs prepared to lead the franchise his father built.
When Everything Changed
Tragedy struck in 1979 when Mugs died suddenly of a heart attack. Four years later, when George Halas Sr. passed away in 1983, Virginia inherited the Bears at age 60. She became principal owner of a franchise worth millions, with no formal business training beyond her college degree from Drexel University.
The transition wasn’t simple. George Halas divided 49.35% of the Bears he owned into equal shares for his 13 grandchildren using trusts, with voting power going to Virginia, who already owned close to 20% of the team. This structure kept the franchise in family hands while creating complex ownership dynamics that persist today.
Building a Family Football Empire
The McCaskey Family Dynasty
Virginia married Ed McCaskey in 1943, beginning a partnership that lasted 60 years until his death in 2003. Together they raised 11 children and eventually had 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.
The family grew as large as the franchise itself. Ed McCaskey served as chairman and treasurer of the Bears, acting as co-owner alongside his wife despite never holding official ownership shares.
Power Transitions Within the Family
Virginia’s approach to management evolved through necessity. Her son Michael McCaskey served as team president from 1983 to 1999, when Virginia fired him. He remained chairman until 2011 when his brother George assumed the position.
When Ted Phillips became president in 1999, it marked the first time in NFL franchise history that someone without the Halas or McCaskey name held that title. This pattern continued with current president Kevin Warren, who took over in January 2023.
The family’s 80% ownership stake made them one of the most concentrated ownership groups in professional sports. The Bears have been owned by the same family longer than any other NFL team.
Her Ownership Legacy
Super Bowl Glory and Championships
Virginia was at the helm when the Bears won their first Super Bowl and ninth NFL championship in 1985. The dominant 46-10 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XX remains one of the most lopsided championship games in history.
On January 21, 2007, she accepted the NFC Championship trophy bearing her father’s name after the Bears defeated the New Orleans Saints to reach Super Bowl XLI. She called it her happiest day.
Hall of Fame Players Under Her Watch
Thirty Bears have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the franchise’s history, the most of any NFL team, with iconic names like Walter Payton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher starring during McCaskey’s ownership.
The Bears Care Initiative
Beyond football operations, Virginia founded Bears Care in 2005, a charitable program that has issued grants totaling more than $31.5 million to local agencies in Chicago. Her commitment to community work reflected her Catholic values and belief that football existed within a larger social responsibility.
Financial Impact and Net Worth
Franchise Valuation Growth
The Bears are currently worth $6 billion according to Sportico estimates. This represents exponential growth from the $100 George Halas paid to acquire the Decatur Staleys in 1920.
Virginia’s personal net worth was estimated between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion, ranking her 28th among NFL owners. Despite the Bears’ historic significance, their valuation hasn’t matched teams with more recent sustained success.
The Succession Question
Some family members have expressed interest in selling, with the family considering options including offloading a minority stake to cover taxes or selling the team entirely. Estate tax burdens on billion-dollar franchises create pressure few families can sustain across generations.
In 1990, insurance billionaire Patrick Ryan and a partner bought roughly 20% of the Bears after two of the 13 Halas grandchildren who weren’t Virginia’s children decided to sell. This demonstrated the challenges of keeping large ownership groups unified.
Breaking Barriers as a Female Owner
One of Twelve Female Owners
McCaskey was one of ten female NFL owners in 2022, joining women like Sheila Ford Hamp, Amy Adams Strunk, and Gayle Benson. Her presence helped normalize female ownership in a male-dominated industry.
After Ralph Wilson’s death in March 2014, she became the oldest owner in the NFL, and after Bill Bidwill’s death in October 2019, she became the longest-tenured owner.
A Hands-Off Management Style
McCaskey was known for being “proudly private” about the team her father built, rarely discussing business aspects of her life. Starting in 1999, she adopted an increasingly hands-off ownership approach.
This style created stability but also invited criticism during periods of team underperformance. The Bears made the playoffs 14 times and won 11 division titles under her ownership, but only reached two Super Bowls.
Recent Years and Final Season
Turning 100 and Beyond
Virginia turned 100 on January 5, 2023, celebrating the milestone as the oldest primary owner of an NFL franchise. She turned 101 in 2024 and 102 just weeks before her passing.
Her longevity allowed her to witness dramatic changes in professional football, from leather helmets and barnstorming tours to billion-dollar TV contracts and salary caps.
The 2024 Season Challenges
The team won just five games in the 2024-25 season after selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Head coach Matt Eberflus was fired with five games remaining, marking a turbulent end to her final season as owner.
Faith, Family, and Football
McCaskey considered “faith, family, and football” indivisible in her life. This philosophy guided her business decisions and personal priorities for more than a century.
Her Catholic faith shaped charitable work through Bears Care and personal interactions. Family always came first, even when it meant making difficult personnel decisions involving her own children.
The football legacy represented more than business. It connected her to her father’s vision, the city of Chicago, and millions of Bears fans who shared her devotion to the franchise.
Ownership Records That May Never Fall
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Longest Tenure | 42 years as principal owner (1983-2025) |
| Oldest Owner | 102 years old at time of death |
| Family Ownership | 105+ years of continuous Halas-McCaskey family control |
| Female Leadership | One of NFL’s pioneering female majority owners |
These numbers tell only part of her story. Virginia Halas McCaskey represented continuity in an era of franchise relocations, ownership changes, and corporate takeovers.
FAQs
How did Virginia Halas McCaskey become owner of the Chicago Bears?
She inherited the team in 1983 when her father George Halas died, after her brother Mugs died unexpectedly in 1979.
What was Virginia Halas McCaskey’s net worth?
Her net worth was estimated between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion, primarily from her 80% family ownership stake in the Bears.
How many children did Virginia McCaskey have?
She raised 11 children with husband Ed McCaskey and had 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.
Did the Bears win championships under Virginia McCaskey’s ownership?
Yes, the Bears won Super Bowl XX in 1986, along with 11 division titles and 14 playoff appearances during her 42-year tenure.
Who will own the Bears after Virginia McCaskey?
Her son George McCaskey currently serves as chairman and will likely maintain family control, though succession details remain private.
The End of an Era
Virginia Halas McCaskey’s passing closes a chapter that began before the Great Depression. She witnessed her father transform a small-town industrial league team into a national institution. She navigated family tragedy, raised 11 children, broke gender barriers in professional sports, and maintained her father’s legacy through changing times.
Her family’s statement noted she “lived a long, full, faith-filled life” and “guided the Bears for four decades, basing every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans”.
The franchise faces an uncertain future. Estate taxes, family complexity, and billion-dollar valuations create pressures her father never imagined. But for 42 years, Virginia Halas McCaskey proved that commitment to family and tradition could coexist with professional football’s modern demands.
She remained a Bears fan first, just as she was when her father took her to that first game at age two. That never changed, even when the weight of ownership fell on her shoulders. The little girl whose name was written in pencil became the matriarch who defined what it means to be a steward of football history.
