Jerry Vainisi obit

 

Former Bears executive Jerry Vainisi passes away

He was not on the list.

Former Bears executive Jerry Vainisi passed away in Oak Park Tuesday at the age of 80.

Vainisi spent 15 seasons with the Bears, starting as the club's controller in 1972. He then spent time as treasurer and in-house counsel before serving as general manager from 1983-87, a period that included the 1985 Super Bowl championship team.

In 1983, Vainisi hired current Bears president/CEO Ted Phillips as team controller.

"I will always appreciate the few years I spent with Jerry and am forever grateful for his decision to hire me as the Bears controller in 1983, which started my 40-year career with the Bears," Phillips said. "My thoughts and prayers are with him and his entire family."

Following his time with the Bears, Vainisi worked for the Detroit Lions then helped create and head the football operations for the World League of American Football (which later rebranded as NFL Europe). After his time in professional football, Vainisi took over Hinshaw & Culbertson's sports and entertainment law division in Chicago then bought Forest Park Bank before becoming its chairman and CEO.

Vainisi is a Chicago area native who graduated from Georgetown University and Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is survived by his very good friend Doris L. Vainisi, five children and 14 grandchildren.

Vainisi started his career with Arthur Andersen as an accountant before George Halas Jr. of the National Football League's (NFL) Chicago Bears, a friend of Vainisi's brother, hired him in 1972. He was the treasurer of the Chicago Bears from 1972 to 1982 before replacing Jim Finks as a general manager.

On August 24, 1983, Vainisi replaced Jim Finks as the general manager of the Bears, and led the Bears to its only Super Bowl win in 1985 when the Bears defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. He was one of the people responsible for the removal of the Bears cheerleading squad Chicago Honey Bears in 1985, saying that the squad might be replaced by a high school band, despite not having done so. His close relationship with then-head coach Mike Ditka factored in his firing by Bears president Michael McCaskey on January 15, 1987. The rift stemmed from Vainisi and Ditka persuading McCaskey to acquire Doug Flutie, who was the starting quarterback in the Bears' 27–13 divisional playoff loss to the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on January 3. The Bears dismissed Vainisi twelve days after the loss. He was the last Bears general manager until Jerry Angelo took over in 2001.

In 1987, Vainisi became the vice president of player personnel for the Detroit Lions. He drafted Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders in the 1989 NFL Draft. Vainisi left the Lions in 1990 to create and head the football operations of the World League of American Football (later named NFL Europe).  In 1995, Vainisi retired from professional football and joined the Chicago law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson, heading the sports and entertainment division. He worked as a sports agent through Hinshaw & Culbertson and bought Forest Park National Bank.

In 2010, he was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.