Bears Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey dies at age 102

Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who inherited the team from her father and team founder George Halas, died Thursday at the age of 102, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN).

McCaskey has been a staple at the head of Chicago's NFL team for generations now. She took over the team after her father's death in 1983, and while she was seldom the public face of the team, she was known for occasionally wielding influence over it.

"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," her 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."

Her husband, EdMcCaskey, succeeded Halas as chairman after his death, while Virginia took on the mantle of team owner. With her husband at the helm and her holding the purse strings, the Bears won a Super Bowl in 1986.

While she stayed largely out of the spotlight, McCaskey discussed the privilege of owning the team in 2006.

"I think it's important that all of our family remembers that we really haven't done anything to earn this," McCaskey said, "We're just the recipients of a tremendous legacy. I use the word 'custodian,' and we want to pass it on the best way we can. ... We've been working on that for a long time."

She was also known to occasionally express displeasure with the team's performance, as she did in 2011 when they fired head coach Marc Trestman following a 5-11 season.

"She's pissed off," George McCaskey said. "I can't think of a 91-year-old woman that that description would apply, but in this case, I can't think of a more accurate description.

Currently, her son George is the chairman and primary decision-maker for the team, and it's unclear at this point whether he'll be the one to receive ownership of the franchise now that his mother has passed.

She had 11 children (of whom 9 are still surviving), 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.