Judy Markey, the beloved co-host of the long-running Chicago radio program the “Kathy and Judy Show,” died after a voluntary assisted suicide in Switzerland.
Markey, 82, suffered from a degenerative neurological disorder — which led her to decide to end her life on her own terms — and was reportedly joking around until her final moments.
Before slipping away, she said she had a headache after taking a few bites of a Snickers bar.
Her husband, Tom Collinger, asked, “Do you want some Advil?” to which she quipped, “I kind of want something a little stronger,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Markey hosted the popular call-in morning talk show on WGN-AM 720 with host Kathy O’Malley from 1989 to 2009, and picked up again in 2013 on weekends for another four years.
The duo, known as “The Girlfriends,” counted many male listeners among their fans.
The show was the first radio program hosted by a woman in Chicago — which was a heavily male-dominated field at the time.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Markey started her career as a syndicated columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times before pivoting to radio, where she distinguished herself.
She is recognized in Northwestern Medill’s Hall of Achievement as one of Chicago’s “One Hundred Most Influential Women” and one of the “Top One Hundred Talk Show Hosts.”
The show was best known for its banter between the hosts and callers, but didn’t shy away from topics ranging from amusing personal anecdotes and sex to heavy topics like abortion.
“We were not bulls–t. We said things that were true and things other people didn’t want to say,” O’Malley recalled of her friend to the Sun-Times. “I loved her so much. She was something else.”
In addition to her husband, Markey is survived by her daughter, Erin Markey; son Adam Markey; stepson Zach Collinger; stepdaughter Kate Collinger Buxton; son-in-law Pat Buxton; and two grandchildren.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
