Staley Da Bear
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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Surprise … it's a girl!
Halas revealed in his autobiography that both he and his wife, Minnie, were expecting a boy when Minnie was pregnant with Virginia: "The initial shock over, I was delighted with my daughter," Halas wrote. "I began immediately plying her with orange juice—the fad at the time for young babies—and stories of the Bears."
During grade school when a group of boys were bragging to Mrs. McCaskey about meeting Cubs star Gabby Harnett, she countered by mentioning that she personally knew Grange. When the boys refused to believe her, she returned to school with an autographed photo of Grange that read: "Dear Virginia, Sure, I do know you and I think you're swell, Red Grange."
Mrs. McCaskey attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she studied business management. It was there that she met her future husband, who was a student at the University of Pennsylvania and also sang in a band at local dance halls.
Mrs. McCaskey married Edward McCaskey Feb. 2, 1943—on her father's 48th birthday. Mr. McCaskey soon left for Europe to fight in World War II, serving in the Army.
The McCaskeys were married for 60 years until Ed passed away April 8, 2003 at the age of 83. Devout Catholics, they raised 11 children. Four of their eight sons currently work full-time for the Bears: George (chairman), Patrick (vice president), Brian (vice president) and Rich (administration).
The McCaskeys' oldest child, Michael, served as Bears president from 1982-99 and chairman from 1999 until his retirement in 2011. Michael passed away last May 16 at the age of 76. The McCaskeys' second oldest child, Tim, served as a Bears vice president from 1993 until his death Jan. 30, 2011.
Her favorite moments
One of Mrs. McCaskey's fondest memories was watching the Bears beat the New York Giants 14-10 to win the 1963 NFL Championship at frigid Wrigley Field.
In a 2014 interview on the team-produced "Inside the Bears" television show, Mrs. McCaskey remembered that it was a "cold, cold, cold day. In those days we were sitting outside. There were no executive suites. We had everything we could think of to keep warm. Before that season and even during that season, my dad was still coaching at age 68 and some people thought he should be retired—and he showed them."