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Virginia McCaskey, Bears owner, lived a humble life out of the spotlight

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Published  February 6, 2025 5:07pm CST
Bears
FOX 32 Chicago

Remembering Virginia McCaskey: Des Plaines neighbor speaks fondly about Bears owner

Despite her role within the Chicago Bears and the NFL, she kept a low profile and lived in Des Plaines.

The Brief

    • Virginia McCaskey, owner of the Chicago Bears, passed away at 102, living a modest, low-profile life in Des Plaines despite her NFL legacy.
    • With a net worth of $1.2 billion last year, she embraced simplicity, residing in a 1,700-square-foot home and remaining devoted to her faith and community.
    • McCaskey was known for her kindness, warmth, and active role at St. Emily Parish, and her legacy continues through the Ed McCaskey Scholarship Fund.

DES PLAINES, Ill. - Virginia McCaskey, the owner of the Chicago Bears, died Wednesday at the age of 102.

Despite her role within the Bears and the NFL, she kept a low profile and lived in Des Plaines.

What we know:

Last year, McCaskey's net worth was estimated at $1.2 billion, though she lived modestly.

Despite being the matriarch of one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, she embraced a humble, quiet life in Des Plaines, a trait admired by her neighbors.

Her 1,700-square-foot home, purchased in 1994, reflected her simple lifestyle.

Those who knew her described her as kind, warm, and down-to-earth—someone who loved getting her hair done and was a devoted churchgoer.

Faith played a central role in her life. She worshiped for many years at St. Emily Parish, just four minutes from her home, and remained deeply committed to both her church and Maryville Academy in Des Plaines, a community-focused institution.

Virginia McCaskey, Bears owner, lived a humble life out of the spotlight

Despite her role within the Bears and the NFL, she kept a low profile and lived in Des Plaines.

What they're saying:

"I also was impressed that she lived in our neighborhood… it's not ostentatious. She didn't live in a huge mansion, you know, far on a hill away from everybody. She was a regular person in the neighborhood and from all accounts, a lovely person," said one neighbor.

Virginia McCaskey owner of the Bears at the luncheon for Bears QB Rex Grossman who is being honored for winning the Ed Block Courage Award at a luncheon at Maryville Academy on Tuesday April 3, 2007. (Charles Cherney/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Serv

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Honoring Virginia:

The Ed Block Courage Award Luncheon, held annually, benefits the Ed McCaskey Scholarship Fund, named after Virginia’s late husband.

Since its establishment in 2003, the luncheon has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars in scholarship funds for students.

The next luncheon is scheduled for March 12.

Virginia McCaskey funeral information

  • Visitation will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Oehler Funeral Home in Des Plaines.
  • Family and friends will gather at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at St. Emily Catholic Church in Mount Prospect for a funeral mass at 10:30 a.m.
  • Entombment will be private.
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