Beloved Chicago radio personality Judy Markey has died at 82 after choosing a voluntary assisted death in Switzerland following years of declining health.
Markey, best known as one half of WGN Radio’s hugely popular “Kathy and Judy Show,” died September 11 after living with what her family and friends described as a degenerative neurological disorder.
Her family confirmed the circumstances of her death in an obituary published on her memorial website.
“After some years with her body in decline, she made the choice she always supported – going out on her terms with a voluntary assisted death in Switzerland,” the obituary said.
The family said Markey believed she had lived a rich life and had gotten “more from it than she ever imagined.”
Read Judy Markey’s family obituary here
Markey spent decades entertaining Chicago listeners alongside close friend Kathy O’Malley.
Their weekday “Kathy and Judy Show” aired on WGN-AM 720 from 1989 until 2009 before the pair returned in 2013 for a weekend program that lasted another four years.
The Chicago Sun-Times described the program as the first Chicago radio show hosted by women, an important distinction in what was then a heavily male-dominated industry. Their devoted listeners became known simply as “The Girlfriends.”
Markey and O’Malley built their reputation by talking about virtually everything, from relationships and family frustrations to intensely personal subjects many radio programs avoided.
Long before podcasts turned intimate conversations into an industry, Kathy and Judy had listeners calling in to discuss their own lives, complain about everyday problems and laugh along with the hosts.
But Markey’s final months dealt with a far more serious subject.
According to the Sun-Times, Markey had a degenerative neurological disorder and traveled to Switzerland for an assisted death. Her husband, Tom Collinger, was with her.
Even near the end, he said, Markey had not lost the sense of humor that made her famous.
Collinger recalled that his wife ate a few bites of a Snickers bar before complaining that she had a headache. When he offered her Advil, Markey joked that she wanted “something a little stronger.”
The remark reportedly drew laughter from those with her.
“She had a life that exceeded all her expectations,” Collinger told the Sun-Times, adding that Markey was comforting other people during her final moments.
Her longtime radio partner also said Markey’s decision did not come suddenly.
O’Malley told the Sun-Times that the women had discussed difficult and controversial subjects throughout their friendship and broadcasting careers, including the right to make decisions at the end of life.
The two even shared a final lunch before Markey left for Switzerland.
Markey’s death also came at an extraordinary moment in her home state.
She died September 11. Illinois’ End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act took effect the following day, September 12.
The new Illinois law, sometimes called Deb’s Law, permits certain terminally ill adults to request medication they can self-administer to end their lives.
But the law is considerably narrower than simply allowing anyone with a serious or degenerative illness to request the medication.
Under the statute, a patient must be an adult Illinois resident with the mental capacity to make medical decisions and have an incurable, irreversible disease expected to cause death within six months. The diagnosis must be documented after an in-person examination and confirmed by another physician. Doctors also must discuss alternatives including hospice, palliative care, comfort care and pain management.
There is no public information establishing that Markey had been given a prognosis of six months or less.
That distinction matters. While her death occurred just one day before the Illinois law became effective, it should not be assumed that she would have qualified under it.
Switzerland operates under a different legal framework.
The Swiss Federal Office of Justice says assisted suicide is permitted under Article 115 of the country’s penal code provided the person offering assistance is not acting for selfish motives. Swiss law also distinguishes assisted suicide, in which the individual takes the substance themselves, from direct active euthanasia, which remains illegal.
Collinger told the Sun-Times that his wife hoped her choice would encourage further discussion about end-of-life decisions. Markey had divided her time between Highland Park, Illinois, and Tucson, Arizona, in recent years.
Her life extended far beyond radio.
Born in Cleveland in 1944, Markey moved to California as a teenager and later studied journalism at Northwestern University. She eventually wrote for publications including Cosmopolitan and Glamour before becoming a newspaper columnist and, ultimately, one of Chicago radio’s most recognizable voices.
She is survived by her husband, daughter Erin, son Adam, stepchildren Zach Collinger and Kate Collinger Buxton, and two grandchildren.
Her family asked people wishing to honor Markey to donate to PAWS Chicago or the International Rescue Committee rather than send flowers.
A private celebration of Markey’s life was scheduled for September 17 and made available to the public through a livestream on her family memorial page.
Watch Judy Markey’s celebration of life
For the thousands of Chicago listeners who spent years hearing Markey talk openly about the ordinary, funny and painful parts of life, the circumstances of her death reflected a subject she had reportedly discussed for years — maintaining control over her own decisions until the very end.
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