Judy Markey, Longtime WGN Co-Host, Dies at 82 After Choosing Assisted Death in Switzerland

Jimmy ParkerSeptember 17, 20262

Markey’s Final Decision

Judy Markey, the longtime co-host of WGN’s “Kathy and Judy Show,” died Friday at 82 in a medical-aid-in-dying clinic in Switzerland. Markey’s family and Kathy O’Malley said she chose assisted death after a degenerative neurological disorder diagnosed in 2024 caused her body to fail. O’Malley said the two women had discussed their support for medical aid in dying several times on WGN. She said Markey made the decision without hesitation, selected a date, and never wavered. Her family obituary described it as a voluntary assisted death on her terms.

A Career Built Around Chicago Radio

Markey was born February 18, 1944, and grew up in Cleveland before moving to Los Angeles as a teenager. She studied journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School, wrote a column for the Chicago Sun-Times for 16 years, and also published work in The New York Times and Cosmopolitan. Her writing career included novels such as “The Daddy Clock.” For two decades, Chicago listeners knew her as one half of the “Kathy and Judy Show,” where she worked alongside O’Malley on WGN.

Her Last Moments

Her husband, Tom Collinger, a Northwestern professor emeritus, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Markey had no fear at the end. After eating a few bites of a Snickers bar, she said she had a headache. When Collinger asked whether she wanted Advil, Markey answered, “I kind of want something a little stronger.” Collinger said the last joke landed with everyone in the room. He also said Markey had a life that exceeded all her expectations and was comforting others during her final moments.

The Debate Over Assisted Suicide

The account also addressed the larger debate over physician-assisted suicide. In July 2021, Psychiatric Times published an article opposing assisted suicide and cited preliminary reports suggesting that states allowing the practice had higher total suicide rates than states without it, with no decline in non-assisted suicides. The article also pointed to suicide rates in the Netherlands accelerating compared with neighboring countries that had not legalized medical euthanasia. Physician and ethicist Leon Kass cautioned, “We must care for the dying, not make them dead.” The American College of Physicians says physician-assisted suicide is neither a therapy nor a solution to difficult end-of-life questions and does not support legalization, while also emphasizing high-quality care, communication, compassion, and practical resources.