Hundreds of relatives, friends and even strangers paid their respects to Virginia Halas McCaskey Wednesday, honoring the remarkable life of the Bears owner during a funeral mass at St. Emily's Catholic Church in Mount Prospect.

Well-wishers at the service included NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, league owners, current and former Bears players and coaches, and fans—many of whom never met Mrs. McCaskey. Attendees included Hall of Famers Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Brian Urlacher.

The Bears were represented by President & CEO Kevin Warren, general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson. In addition, four buses filled with Bears staffers made the trip from Halas Hall.

Mrs. McCaskey's family filled a large section of the church; she is survived by nine children, 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Former Bears President & CEO Ted Phillips was on hand, as were Walter Payton's widow, Connie Payton; Cubs owner Tom Ricketts; Brian Piccolo's widow, Joy Piccolo O'Connell; and their daughter, Traci Piccolo Dolby. Attendees were invited to a luncheon following the service.

The only daughter of Pro Football Hall of Famer George Halas, Mrs. McCaskey passed away last Thursday at the age of 102. She had served as the Bears' principal owner since her father passed away Oct. 31, 1983.

St. Emily's Catholic Church was a special place to Mrs. McCaskey, who attended mass there every day for many years.

On Tuesday, a steady stream of people attended Mrs. McCaskey's wake from 1-8 p.m. at Oehler Funeral Home in Des Plaines, with wait times as long as two hours. The room featured photo montages celebrating Mrs. McCaskey's life and flower arrangements sent by NFL teams, friends and family and one from a section of Bears Season Ticket Holders at Soldier Field.

The wake and funeral mass capped several days of reflection following Mrs. McCaskey's passing. Commissioner Goodell, NFL teams and others paid tribute to her over the weekend, and a moment of silence in honor of Mrs. McCaskey was held before the start of Super Bowl LIX Sunday in New Orleans.

Commissioner Goodell wrote in a statement that Mrs. McCaskey "leaves a legacy of class, dignity, and humanity." He added that "faith, family, and football—in that order—were her north stars and she lived by the simple adage to always 'do the right thing.'"

Please click here to make a memorial donation to Bears Care in honor of Virginia Halas McCaskey.