Picture a young girl in 1925, clutching her father’s hand as they board a train for a football barnstorming tour. The roar of crowds, the smell of grass-stained leather, the thrill of a sport fighting for its soul—these moments shaped Virginia Halas McCaskey.

For over a century, her pulse synced with the Chicago Bears, a team her father, George Halas, willed into existence. She wasn’t just an owner; she was the living bridge between leather helmets and laser-guided footballs. However, on Thursday, February 7, 2025, that heartbeat fell silent. The Bears announced McCaskey’s passing at 102, ending an era that began when the NFL was a scrappy upstart. Tributes flooded in…

Tributes flooded in from rivals like the Lions to legends like Peyton Manning, who said, “My thoughts and prayers are with Virginia Halas McCaskey’s family. I was fortunate enough to have her on Peyton’s Places to talk all about her football life. May she rest in peace.” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose family shared decades of friendship with McCaskey, said, “She will be remembered not only for her impact on our game, but also for her joyful demeanor, her steady leadership, and her deep faith in the Lord.” But that wasn’t all.

“My mother, Norma Hunt, adored Virginia. They were friends for decades, sharing their love of football and supporting each other through many ups and downs,” Hunt added. Tavia Hunt echoed the sentiment, sharing the team’s post in her Instagram story captioned, “Sweetest, brightest lady 💔🙏🏻🕊️.”

McCaskey’s journey unfolded unscripted. When her brother George “Mugs” Halas Jr. died in 1979, the Bears’ mantle passed to her. By 1983, she was steering a franchise her father had built from scratch. “I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was — the total involvement of my dad into every play and every yard,” she once said. Under her leadership, the Bears lifted the Super Bowl XX trophy in 1986, fulfilling Papa Bear‘s dream. But her leadership wasn’t just about glory.

Her 11 children and 40+ grandchildren knew her as “Mama Bear,” a title fans adopted too. When the Bears stunned the Packers with a last-second field goal in 2024’s finale, one fan wrote, “Her final gift: a win over Green Bay.” Even foes bowed to her grace.

The Lions’ Sheila Hamp praised McCaskey. “Virginia McCaskey was a trailblazer as a female leader within the NFL. We will always remember her passion, grace, and unwavering support for the game of football,” the statement read. While the Packers acknowledged her role in fueling football’s oldest rivalry. Yet behind the steel was a woman who giggled when handed the Halas Trophy in 2007.

She blushed when Ditka compared her to her father. “She’s been on this Earth for eight of the Bears’ nine championships, and she wants more,” son George McCaskey revealed. After a 5-11 season in 2014, he admitted, “She’s pissed off. I can’t think of a 91-year-old woman that that description would apply.” Virginia’s reign defied norms.

Legacy Beyond the End Zone

In 1999, she fired her son Michael as team president, proving no one was above the team’s best interest. However, McCaskey’s North Stars were simple: “Faith, family, and football—in that order,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell noted. She scrapped the Honey Bears cheer squad in 1985, calling their routine anti-feminist. She prioritized community over spectacle. In a league dominated by men, she became its moral compass.

“Not in terms of money or value, but in terms of what the team meant to people in Chicago and beyond,” the Bears’ statement suggested about her desire to spread the Bears’ legacy. Besides, her integrity shaped the decisions she made, from hiring coaches to cutting cheerleaders. When Manning interviewed her for Peyton’s Places, he found a storyteller who’d witnessed Red Grange’s magic and Walter Payton’s grit.

The Bears remain in Halas’s hands, a pledge McCaskey fiercely upheld. “Could I ever see the Bears leaving the family?” She declared in 1985. Today, son George chairs the team, tasked with honoring her vision. As fans chant “RIP Mama Bear” online, the family vows to “do the right thing,” her lifelong creed. New coach Ben Johnson inherits that mission, with a roster hungry to end a 40-year title drought.

Virginia McCaskey’s story began with a train ride alongside George Halas. It ends with a league united in grief, yet richer for her touch. From barnstorming tours to Lambeau leaps, she guarded her father’s legacy while carving her own. As the Chiefs and Eagles prep for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans—the same city where her Bears triumphed in ’86—her spirit lingers. In Chicago, Halas Hall feels quieter. But somewhere, a 102-year-old fan is still cheering, play-by-play.