MEMORIAL-VIRGINIA MCCASKEY

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0144

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Full Text of HR0144

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HR0144 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0144
LRB104 12341 ECR 22521 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Chicago
4
Bears principal owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who passed away
5
on February 6, 2025; and

6

WHEREAS, Virginia McCaskey was the eldest child of the
7
founder of the Chicago Bears and the National Football League
8
(NFL), George Halas; she received a degree in business
9
management from Drexel University with the goal of serving as
10
her father's secretary; she also joined the Pi Sigma Gamma
11
sorority, the Newman Club, the Panhellenic Council, and the
12
YWCA; her first memory of attending a Chicago Bears game was at
13
the age of two, and she attended her first NFL Championship
14
game at the age of eight; she also attended the 1940 NFL
15
Championship when the Bears won 73-0 with their infamous "T"
16
formation; and

17

WHEREAS, Virginia McCaskey officially served as secretary
18
of the Bears franchise and as a member of the team's board of
19
directors; she voted the shares of herself, her children, and
20
her grandchildren; she and her heirs owned 80% of the Bears,
21
and the team has been in Halas-McCaskey hands since George
22
Halas acquired the then Decatur Staleys from A.E. Staley in
23
1921 and then moved the team to Chicago; and

HR0144
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LRB104 12341 ECR 22521 r
1

WHEREAS, Virginia McCaskey's father originally intended
2
for her younger brother, George "Mugs" Halas Jr., to inherit
3
the team; however, Mugs tragically died of a heart attack in
4
1979; therefore, Virginia was next in line to inherit the
5
Bears when her father, affectionately known as "Papa Bear",
6
passed away four years later; and

7

WHEREAS, During Virginia McCaskey's tenure as owner, the
8
infamous 1985 Bears won Super Bowl XX in dominant fashion,
9
beating the New England Patriots by a score of 46-10; this was
10
two years after the death of her father and was part of a run
11
of five consecutive NFC North Titles for the Bears from 1984 to
12
1988; and

13

WHEREAS, In the later days of her ownership, Virginia
14
McCaskey became much more of a hands-off owner, leaving the
15
front office roles to her sons, Michael and George; in 1999,
16
they hired someone outside of the family to be the team's
17
president, marking the first time a Halas or McCaskey did not
18
hold that title; Virginia's husband, Ed, previously served as
19
chairman and treasurer of the Bears and acted as co-owner
20
alongside Virginia until his death in 2003; and

21

WHEREAS, On January 21, 2007, Virginia McCaskey accepted
22
the NFC Championship trophy that bears her father's name; she

HR0144
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LRB104 12341 ECR 22521 r
1
called it her "happiest day so far" after the Bears had beaten
2
the New Orleans Saints, leading to their second Super Bowl
3
appearance; and

4

WHEREAS, In 2022, Virginia McCaskey was one of ten female
5
NFL owners; after the death of Arizona Cardinals owner Bill
6
Bidwill in October 2019, she became the longest tenured owner
7
in the NFL; and

8

WHEREAS, With the team that her father built, Virginia
9
McCaskey was known for being proudly private because she
10
rarely discussed the business aspect of her life; after
11
marrying her husband, Ed McCaskey, in 1943, she had 11
12
children, 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and four
13
great-great grandchildren; she was a Roman Catholic and
14
considered faith, family, and football inseparable in her
15
life; and

16

WHEREAS, Virginia McCaskey turned 102 on January 5, 2025,
17
which was the same day of the final Bears game she would ever
18
see, a win against the Green Bay Packers; she passed away a
19
month later; therefore, be it

20

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
22
we mourn the passing of Virginia Halas McCaskey and extend our

HR0144
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LRB104 12341 ECR 22521 r
1
sincere condolences to her family, friends, the loyal fans of
2
the Chicago Bears, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
3
further

4

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5
presented to the family of Virginia Halas McCaskey as an
6
expression of our deepest sympathy.

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