How the NFL and other sports pillars reacted to Chicago Bears' owner Virginia McCaskey's passing

Chicago Bears matriarch, team owner and NFL icon Virginia McCaskey passed away Thursday. She was 102 years old.

She celebrated her 102nd birthday with a Bears' win over Green Bay Packers 24-22 at Lambeau Field on Jan. 5.

Here's how the NFL and other sports pillars around the city of Chicago reacted to Virginia McCaskey's passing.

The McCaskey family

McCaskey owned the Bears for 43 years, taking over as the team's owner after her father George Halas passed away in 1983.

However, her legacy lives on through her family.

McCaskey had 11 children, eight sons and three daughters. She is survived by her sons Patrick, Edward Jr., George, Richard, Brian and Joseph, and her daughters Ellen, Mary and Anne. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Her family remembered her in a statement provided by the Chicago Bears.

"While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth," the McCaskey family said in a statement.  "She guided the Bears for four decades and based every business decision on what was best for Bears players, coaches, staff and fans."

Green Bay Packers

Somethings are bigger than sports. The Green Bay Packers understand this. They offered their consolences to one of their biggest rivals.

"The Packers are saddened by the passing of Virginia Halas McCaskey, the loving matriarch of the Chicago Bears who carried on the incomparable legacy of her father George Halas. Virginia led the Bears with dignity and class for decades, guiding the organization's humanitarian efforts and adding numerous chapters to the storied Packers-Bears rivalry her father started. The Packers send their deepest condolences to the McCaskey and Halas families, the Chicago Bears and their fans."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

Virginia McCaskey's family is deeply rooted in NFL history. Her father, George Halas, helped found the league over a century ago. The league's leadership said this in response to her passing:

"Virginia Halas McCaskey, the matriarch of the Chicago Bears and daughter of George Halas, the founder of the NFL, leaves a legacy of class, dignity, and humanity," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. ""Faith, family, and football – in that order – were her north stars and she lived by the simple adage to always ‘do the right thing.’"

McCaaskey was the longest-tenured owner in the NFL and the oldest owner in major U.S. professional sports.

"The Bears that her father started meant the world to her and he would be proud of the way she continued the family business with such dedication and passion," Goodell said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the McCaskey and Halas families and Bears fans around the world."

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts released this statement on behalf of the Chicago Cubs organization on Thursday after McCaskey's passing:

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Virginia Halas McCaskey, a true pioneer whose contributions have left an indelible mark on our city. For half a century, the Chicago Bears called Wrigley Field home and the history of our two teams will forever be intertwined."

"In addition to her leadership of the Chicago Bears, she was the mother of 11 children, and with her late husband Ed, they set an example of faith, family and service that everyone should admire,"  Our heartfelt condolences go out to Bears Chairman George McCaskey and their family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know her.

White Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf

Jerry Reinsdorf brought championships to the city of Chicago with the Bulls and White Sox. He offered his condolences to the McCaskey family.

"Virginia McCaskey was a force as the matriarch of one of the truly iconic teams in the NFL. Her decades-long impact as the owner of the Chicago Bears has left a lasting legacy across the sports world in Chicago and beyond, and yet, it is her steadfast dedication to her family and community that is truly her living legacy. Our hearts go out to the McCaskey family, the entire Chicago Bears organization and Bears fans everywhere. She will be greatly missed."

This story will be updated