Judy Markey, Chicago Radio Legend and Kathy and Judy Show Co-Host, Dies at 82
Judy Markey, the celebrated co-host of Chicago’s long-running “Kathy and Judy Show” on WGN-AM 720, died at the age of 82 following a voluntary assisted suicide in Switzerland, according to reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times. Markey, who shaped decades of local broadcasting and cultural commentary, chose to end her life on her own terms after suffering from a degenerative neurological disorder.
A Groundbreaking Broadcasting Legacy in Chicago
For two decades starting in 1989, Markey and her co-host Kathy O’Malley dominated local airwaves with a frank, unvarnished style that redefined morning talk radio. Their on-air dynamic relied on sharp banter, personal anecdotes, and deep audience engagement, attracting a massive cross-section of listeners.
The duo tackled topics ranging from lighthearted daily observations to weighty social issues like sex, abortion, and politics without filtering their perspectives through corporate radio tropes. “We were not bullshit. We said things that were true and things other people didn’t want to say,” Kathy O’Malley recalled of her broadcast partner to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Before moving into radio, Markey built a notable career in print journalism as a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her contributions to local media earned her widespread professional recognition, including induction into Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement. There, she was honored both as one of Chicago’s “One Hundred Most Influential Women” and among the city’s top talk show hosts.
Final Moments and Personal Life
Prior to her passing, while partaking in a few bites of a Snickers bar, she remarked that she had a headache. When her husband, Tom Collinger, asked if she wanted some Advil, Markey quipped back, “I kind of want something a little stronger.”
She is survived by her husband, Tom Collinger; her daughter, Erin Markey; her son, Adam Markey; her stepson, Zach Collinger; her stepdaughter, Kate Collinger Buxton; her son-in-law, Pat Buxton; and two grandchildren.
The Enduring Impact on Local Culture
Markey’s influence extended far beyond her initial twenty-year run on WGN, which concluded in 2009. Demonstrating her lasting connection to her audience, she returned to the station in 2013 to host a weekend program for an additional four years. Known collectively alongside O’Malley as “The Girlfriends,” Markey proved that direct, honest dialogue could build an intensely loyal listener base that spanned generations.
As Chicago media history records the passing of one of its most distinctive voices, the framework she established for women in broadcasting remains a foundational pillar of the city’s cultural landscape.