When Virginia Halas McCaskey graduated from Philadelphia’s Drexel University in 1943, with a level in Secretarial Studies her aspiration was to work for one government — her father George Halas, founder and proprietor of the Chicago Bears and the National Football League.
Eighty years later, McCaskey serves on the group’s board of administrators as its Secretary. But make no mistake, she is the group’s principal proprietor. She’s additionally mom to 11 kids and grandmother or great-grandmother to many extra.
Today, she provides one other chapter to her spectacular biography — centenarian.
McCaskey was born on Jan. 5, 1923, making her about 3 years youthful than the NFL itself.
Her life has been marked by tragedy, which unexpectedly accelerated her profession trajectory and led a former league commissioner to name her the “First Lady of the NFL.”
Her mom, “Min,” died of a coronary heart assault in 1966. The identical ailment killed her youthful brother, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., in 1979. Halas died in 1983 of most cancers, by no means revealing his analysis to his solely daughter. Virginia’s husband of 60 years, Edward W. McCaskey, died in 2003. She’s outlived two of her personal kids and one among her favourite Bears, Walter Payton.
Famously non-public, McCaskey not often grants interviews and leads a modest life dedicated to her religion, household and soccer.
Former longtime Tribune sports activities reporter Don Pierson is among the many few who’ve spent hours with McCaskey, most lately recording her reminiscences within the “Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook” written with Dan Pompei and printed in 2019.
Pierson, who coated the Bears for the Tribune from the late Nineteen Sixties by the group’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts in 2007′s Super Bowl XLI, says McCaskey takes her position as matriarch of the Bears critically.
“Virginia and the McCaskey family inherited the Bears without any experience, without much background, without any expectation, without any real desire on Virginia’s part, but she’s made it her lifelong, solemn duty to do what she thinks her father would want her to do,” Pierson advised me Wednesday. “She cherishes that legacy and she’s done a terrific job of trying to maintain that legacy.”
Does Pierson suppose McCaskey will ever promote the group her father established in Chicago?
“As long as she’s alive, the Bears will never be sold,” he stated.
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Photo gallery: ‘Mama Bear’
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‘When Red Grange would get off the train there were so many people waiting to see him they decided I could be his camouflage.’
Pro soccer was struggling to construct an viewers, so George Halas, Red Grange and the Bears went on a 19-game, 66-day barnstorming tour to drum up curiosity through the winter of 1925. And 3-year-old McCaskey went alongside for the journey. Read extra.
‘Just the odor. It was almost overwhelming because the circus had just left town.’
That’s McCaskey’s lasting reminiscence from the 1932 NFL championship, which she watched at simply 9 years previous. In the throes of the Great Depression, to make sure paying prospects confirmed up in subfreezing temperatures on Dec. 18, the sport was performed at Chicago Stadium — sure, indoors — atop 8 inches of filth unfold over concrete. Read extra.
‘The only place my dad would permit me to go to school was to go live with Uncle Walter and his family.’
McCaskey enrolled at Drexel University in Philadelphia in 1939 when she was 16 and lived along with her Uncle Walter, who was the college’s soccer, baseball and basketball coach. She majored in secretarial research, a division the college began in 1914. Her plans have been to turn out to be her father’s secretary.
Her sophomore yr she met her future husband, Edward McCaskey, who was attending the University of Pennsylvania.
Ed and Virginia went to the 1942 NFL title recreation between the Bears and Washington Redskins with the intention of asking Papa Bear for permission to marry. The Bears have been undefeated and massive favorites.
“It was there I learned how much football meant to the Halas family,” Edward McCaskey recalled.
With the Bears about to lose 14-6, Ed seen Virginia crying.
“What’s the matter?” he requested. “It’s only a football game.”
“No,” Virginia answered. “Don’t you realize my father will never let us get married if the Bears lose?”
Sure sufficient, the 2 needed to elope and selected Halas’ birthday, Feb. 2, 1943, for his or her marriage date.
“He wasn’t very happy about that,” McCaskey stated.
They moved to Des Plaines, the place they raised 11 kids. Read extra.
‘I probably live in the smallest house of any NFL executive, but that’s what Ed and I have been snug doing.’
After dwelling for 45 years in the identical home in Des Plaines, the McCaskeys moved in 1994 to a ranch home a block away. Read extra.
‘Even though it wasn’t in opposition to the Packers, it was the end result of a championship season and my dad’s closing championship.’
When a fan on the Bears100 Celebration Weekend in 2019, requested McCaskey what her favourite Wrigley Field recreation was, she rapidly pointed to the 1963 championship recreation. Read extra.
‘I just assumed he would be the one to take over for my dad, and that put me in a great position. I would be able to enjoy all the perks and not have any of the problems. But God had other plans for all of us.’
McCaskey’s youthful brother, George Halas Jr., generally known as “Mugs,” died in 1979. Read extra.
‘More than most people, he considered himself immortal.’
Halas died in 1983, leaving McCaskey accountable for the Bears. She advised the Tribune then that she and her father talked incessantly about the way forward for the group over the past month of his life, however that there was a “gap” of their conversations that left some questions unanswered. Read extra.
‘They weren’t actually cheerleaders. It was previous what goes on in highschool and faculty conditions. I all the time hope our followers can be soccer followers and within the group moderately than the trimmings.’
The Bears shaped the Honey Bears cheerleading/dancing group in 1975. But McCaskey reportedly prevailed in having the group abolished when its contract expired after the 1985 season. Read extra.
‘He is an excellent worker, yet seems to have more of a balance in his life. That’s not a criticism of my father. His dedication was simply so whole, and that’s why he was in a position to accomplish a lot.’
Michael McCaskey, Virginia’s oldest little one, took over the reins of the Chicago Bears from his grandfather George Halas in 1983 earlier than the group achieved its biggest second two years later. Read extra.
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‘How would I characterize this team? I don’t suppose you possibly can. You can’t put a label on it, and isn’t that a part of the fantastic thing about it?’
McCaskey had nice respect for the 1985 Bears group, which gained Super Bowl XX. “They’re all different, but they’re all together. That’s what’s so nice. And when they mention Dad on occasion, I hope it tells me they appreciate what he stood for, his values.” Read extra.
‘I don’t look to be within the highlight. I believe it’s a person’s world so far as the Chicago Bears are involved. I’m within the place I’m in as a result of my dad trusted me and I simply wish to fulfill that belief.’
With one signature, McCaskey might make herself and her household wealthy past something they will hope to earn from holding the group. But cash is just not the motive. Read extra.
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‘You know when sad days are? When we lose games. Those are sad days.’
Ironically, it was Virginia McCaskey who introduced in 1999, that her oldest son was stepping down as president to turn out to be chairman of the board. He remained in that position till 2011, when he was changed by his brother George. Read extra.
‘After Brian Piccolo died (in 1969), my husband Ed and I promised ourselves we wouldn’t be so personally concerned with any of the gamers. We have been in a position to comply with that resolve till Walter Payton got here into our lives.’
McCaskey gave a particular tribute to Payton after his loss of life from most cancers in 1999. Read extra.
‘I never felt the cold at all.’
When McCaskey acquired the George Halas Trophy after the Bears gained the NFC title in January 2007, she was sporting the identical fur coat her mom wore when the Bears gained the 1963 NFL title. Read extra.
‘We’ve been engaged on that for a very long time.’
In a 2007 interview, McCaskey stated it’s her hope and expectation that her kids will proceed to personal the Bears and preserve the Halas legacy alive eternally. Read extra.
‘Well, those socks don’t flip me on.’
The group wanted to get McCaskey’s approval for the Bears’ 1936-inspired throwback uniform, however her preliminary response was lukewarm. Read extra.
‘That’s why I don’t do that fairly often.’
It had already been a sentimental and intensely emotional weekend for the Bears proprietor, however when McCaskey was requested on the ultimate day of the Bears100 Celebration Weekend in 2019, to explain George Halas and to pinpoint her fondest reminiscences along with her dad, she swallowed laborious. Read extra.
‘All the teams I’ve watched. All the miracles I’ve watched. I’m simply very grateful. I can’t consider a greater life.’
A documentary launched as a part of the NFL’s a hundredth season featured McCaskey and three different girls from households that personal groups. Read extra.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com