John Damore, the offensive lineman who held the distinction of being the oldest living Chicago Bear before his death, died on August 4, 2026, in Westmont, Illinois, at the age of 92.
Born in Riverside, Illinois, in 1933, Damore played college football at Northwestern under head coach Bob Voigts, serving as a senior co-captain in 1954 and earning second-team All-Big Ten honours that same year. He was selected by the New York Giants in the 13th round of the 1955 NFL draft, though he would go on to spend his professional career with the Chicago Bears instead.
Damore played two seasons with the Bears, in 1957 and 1959, appearing in 12 career games and recording one fumble recovery. He missed the entire 1958 season after dislocating his right ankle in a preseason win over the Detroit Lions at the Cotton Bowl. He earned an annual salary of $9,000 during his playing days. Following the 1959 season, Damore stepped away from professional football to take over management of a Riverside, Illinois cement construction firm owned by his father, who had recently retired from its daily operations.
A lifelong Bears fan even after his playing career ended, Damore remained closely connected to the team for the rest of his life, continuing to follow its fortunes into his nineties.
Damore is remembered as one of the last living links to the Bears’ rosters of the late 1950s, a title that made him a notable figure to the franchise’s fans and historians in his later years.