Chicago radio has lost one of its most recognizable-and most candid-voices. Judy Markey, who spent two decades trading stories, opinions and laughs with Kathy O'Malley on WGN Radio's beloved "Kathy and Judy Show," died on September 11 at the age of 82 after choosing a medically assisted death in Switzerland.
Markey had been living with a degenerative neurological disorder that increasingly affected her physical health. Her husband, Tom Collinger, said she remained characteristically funny during her final moments. After Markey complained of a headache while eating a Snickers bar, Collinger reportedly offered her Advil. She replied that she wanted "something a little stronger," drawing one final laugh from the family members gathered around her. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Markey had no fear during her final months and was comforting others as the date approached.
Longtime co-host Kathy O'Malley revealed that the women had discussed medical aid in dying several times during their years on air. O'Malley described it as an intensely personal choice that they believed should be available to those who wanted it. She confirmed that Markey died peacefully with her family beside her.
"The last half of my life has been wonderfully brightened by Judy Markey," O'Malley wrote in an emotional tribute. She remembered her friend's brilliance, humor, attitude, wit and wisdom before admitting that this particular goodbye was especially painful. Axios Chicago reported that members of the old "Kathy and Judy" team had gathered several weeks earlier for hours of laughter, tears and farewells.
Markey and O'Malley became an unlikely broadcasting experiment when WGN paired them in 1989. The gamble paid off spectacularly. Their weekday program became the first Chicago radio show hosted by women in an industry overwhelmingly controlled by men. The pair affectionately called their fiercely loyal listeners "The Girlfriends," although plenty of men quietly-and sometimes proudly-joined the club.
Nothing was considered too ordinary, embarrassing or controversial for the show. Markey and O'Malley discussed marriage, parenting, sex, health, abortion and the daily disasters that made listeners feel as though they were eavesdropping on two friends at the kitchen table. The original run ended in 2009, but the duo returned for a weekend program from 2013 until 2017.
Before becoming a radio institution, Markey spent 16 years writing a slice-of-life column for the Chicago Sun-Times. She also wrote two novels and was inducted into Northwestern University's Medill Hall of Achievement. The "Kathy and Judy Show" received two Gracie Awards for Best Major Market Talk Show.
Markey is survived by her husband, Tom Collinger; her children, Erin and Adam; her stepchildren, Zach and Kate; her son-in-law, Pat; and two grandchildren. Her death closes an important chapter in Chicago broadcasting-but the frank, funny and occasionally outrageous conversations she helped create will remain part of the city's radio history.
