Once upon a time, Virginia McCaskey inherited memorabilia from a cousin, a collection that included a box of old ticket stubs. In it, she said, was a torn admittance to the NFL’s 1932 championship game between the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans.

The daughter of the Bears founder and football pioneer, George Halas, she witnessed much of N.F.L. history from a young age, then took the team’s reins in 1983.

The NFL world is grieving the loss of Chicago Bears principal owner and matriarch Virginia McCaskey, who passed away Thursday at 102. She lived a long life filled with love, faith, and football and will be remembered for a long time.