On Saturday afternoon, the Bears announced former team president and CEO Michael B. McCaskey had passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 76 years old.
McCaskey, a Yale graduate who spent two years in the Peace Corps, took over after George Halas passed away in 1983. He oversaw eight playoff seasons, six division titles, and one Super Bowl title (1985) during his time as team president. Named Executive of the Year in 1985, McCaskey was also a co-founder of the team’s charitable foundation, "Bears Care," and served as team chairman until 2011.
“My heart is heavy as I think about Michael McCaskey and can’t believe he is no longer with us,” said Bears President & CEO Ted Phillips in a statement. “His fierce love of the Bears was unmatched as was his intellectual capacity and thirst for knowledge on a myriad of subjects. Michael displayed a professorial presence that could be challenging, but was also inspiring. I will be forever grateful for the many opportunities for growth that he provided me, as well as for his trust and support.
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"Michael always strived to do things the right way with high character and with the Bears best interests always paramount. Michael was a good man, gone much too soon. He presided over the only Super Bowl Championship Chicago Bears team in 1985, and I know he is still smiling about that magical season. God bless Michael and his family.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement on McCaskey's passing, saying:
“Michael McCaskey proudly carried forth the legacy of his grandfather and NFL pioneer George Halas as team president and chairman and played an instrumental role in the success and popularity of the Bears. The Bears’ memorable 1985 season and their Super Bowl XX victory helped further propel the NFL onto a global stage. Michael was a driving force in growing the NFL’s international footprint with the first American Bowl game in London featuring the Bears and the Dallas Cowboys in 1986.
"He was also dedicated to serving his community and helped create Bears Care, which became a model foundation in supporting charities throughout the Chicago area. Michael was a calm and sound voice in league meetings, befitting of his time as a professor before becoming Bears’ president. We extend our deepest sympathies to Michael’s children Kathryn and John, his mother Virginia and the entire McCaskey family, and the Bears organization.”
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He is survived by his two children, John and Kathryn, and one grandson, Jackson.
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