MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (WLS) — Wednesday is the funeral for Bears principal owner Virginia Halas McCaskey.
Loved ones, fans and NFL colleagues paid tribute to the team’s matriarch at a visitation Tuesday in Des Plaines.
Among the attendees were former Bears players and a number of NFL team owners.
Commissioner Roger Goodell was also expected to be in attendance.
Wednesday’s funeral begins at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Emily Catholic Church in Mount Prospect.
McCaskey died last week at the age of 102.
McCaskey served as the Bears owner since Oct. 31, 1983, on the death of her father, Bears founder George Halas.
Similar to her father, one of the founders of the NFL, McCaskey maintained ownership of the team within the family. She passed on the day-to-day operations and the title of president to her oldest son, Michael McCaskey, who held the position of chairman until his brother George McCaskey took over in 2011.
During her stewardship, the Bears won a Super Bowl in 1986 and lost a second 21 years later.
As the eldest of Halas’ two children, McCaskey never anticipated taking on a leadership role. Her brother, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., was being prepared to lead the team but tragically passed away from a sudden heart attack in 1979.
Following her father’s passing in 1983, McCaskey inherited ownership, and her late husband, Ed McCaskey, took the reins as chairman. Shortly after, she entrusted control to Michael, her eldest child among her 11 offspring.
The Associated Press and ESPN contributed to this report.
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