James Stephen Irsay, devoted father, grandfather, business and community leader, philanthropist, and beloved Owner & CEO of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 21, 2025.

Jim was born on June 13, 1959, to Robert and Harriet Irsay in Lincolnwood, Ill., a suburb north of Chicago. He was raised in the Chicago area, but some of his fondest memories came from his youth working Colts training camps in Baltimore, Md., after his father, a successful Chicago businessman, acquired the Baltimore Colts in 1972. There, Jim started his historic 54-year affiliation with the Colts and began cultivating a lifetime of relationships with players, coaches, and staff whom he considered his extended family.

After graduating in 1982 from Southern Methodist University, where he played football and earned a degree in broadcast journalism, Jim joined the franchise and worked in virtually every department before being named the youngest general manager in NFL history when the Colts arrived in Indianapolis in 1984. In 1987, he helped lead the team to its first division title and playoff appearance during the Indianapolis era.

After he assumed sole ownership of the club in 1997, Jim oversaw a historic, record-breaking period of success on the field. From 2000 to 2009, the Colts earned 115 regular season wins, which at the time was the most in a decade for any NFL club. Indianapolis also set an NFL record with 23 consecutive wins from 2008 to 2009. That era produced six Pro Football Hall of Famers – Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison Sr., Edgerrin James, and Dwight Freeney – and counting.

This decade of success culminated in the city's first Super Bowl championship, a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on a rainy Miami night in 2007. Following their triumphant return to Indianapolis, Jim and the team were welcomed by a raucous crowd lining downtown streets in below-freezing temperatures and filling the old RCA Dome. Jim responded by sending the Lombardi Trophy on a 50-stop, 3,130-mile tour throughout Indiana, giving fans an opportunity to see, touch and take pictures with the iconic trophy.

In 2012, Jim played a central role in one of Indianapolis' greatest moments when he helped bring Super Bowl XLVI to Lucas Oil Stadium. The game still is largely regarded as one of the most successful Super Bowls ever, as it generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact, as well as worldwide exposure, for the city and state.

All told, Jim, as owner, led the Colts to 10 division titles, two AFC Championships, and the club's fourth world championship. From 2007 to 2012, the Colts played in two Super Bowls (XLI, XLIV) and hosted a Super Bowl in a span of just six years.

One of the NFL's longest-tenured owners, Jim's love and appreciation for the history, tradition, and principles of the league influenced him to become a steward of the game. In the 1980s, he was one of four NFL executives appointed to design the league's modern day salary cap, which still governs player earnings. As a team owner, Jim was highly active in league affairs, chairing the league's legislative efforts and serving on numerous other committees, including the working group that authored the NFL's collective bargaining agreement in 1993.

Outside football, Jim's generosity can be felt across Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and the country. He made philanthropy a daily endeavor and never hesitated to help friends, fans, and neighbors live better lives. It was a common occurrence for him to read or hear about someone, be they a friend or stranger, who was suffering and anonymously lend a hand.

A pillar of his lasting legacy is the powerful influence Kicking The Stigma has had, is having, and will have on improving mental health awareness, research, and treatment in Indiana and across the United States.

Jim and his daughters launched Kicking The Stigma in late 2020 to address a deeply personal, little discussed, and critically important issue: mental health. Since then, the Irsay family has had a profound, positive impact on the mental health of Hoosiers and Americans, committing more than $31 million toward raising awareness and expanding treatment and research in Indiana and beyond.

In recent years, Jim also took the brave and monumental step of publicly sharing his own personal journey in hopes of ending the stigma surrounding mental health and inspiring others to seek help. While many hide challenges they have experienced, Jim declared himself "an open book" and sought to empower others by courageously sharing his own story.

Mental health was hardly the only avenue in which Jim drove the betterment of the community he called home. Jim and his family supported the Irsay Family YMCA, the downtown Colts Canal Playspace, Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana Black Expo, Girls, Inc., Big Brothers Big Sisters, Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, Gleaners Food Bank, Wheeler Mission Center for Women & Children, a new Indianapolis Animal Care Services shelter, Center for Leadership Development, Indiana University's Irsay Institute and Irsay Family Wellness Center, and countless other important community initiatives.

Family, football, and community were Jim's first loves, but his heart also belonged to music. He loved to play his guitars, write music and perform with his friends, whether in the basement or onstage the night before the Super Bowl. His love of music led him to assemble The Jim Irsay Collection, a robust collection of historic and culturally significant artifacts highlighted by items owned by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, James Brown, Prince, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Bo Diddley, Les Paul, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and other icons. In 2022, Guitar Magazine specifically cited his collection of guitars as "The Greatest Guitars on Earth."

Outside of music, the collection includes hundreds of precious artifacts, signed documents, and photographs from American history and pop culture. However, his most prized artifact was the original manuscript for Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book, the organization's founding document which included the world's very first "12-Step" program. Jim loved this work and credited it with saving the lives of millions with substance use disorder, including his own.

An active philanthropist who wanted more than anything to share these historical items with the world, Jim transformed his collection into a "traveling museum" and hosted free exhibitions across the country. He also regularly loaned items to museums, nonprofits, and other organizations for display and research around the world.

Jim's love of music also led him to form The Jim Irsay Band, an all-star band featuring some of the greatest musicians in the world. He often traveled with the band to perform alongside exhibitions of the collection and was humbled to share the stage with such music giants as John Mellencamp, Stephen Stills, Buddy Guy, Ann Wilson, John Fogerty, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mike Mills, Kevin Cronin, Natalie Merchant, Billy F. Gibbons, Vince Gill, John Hiatt, Robert Randolph, Mike Wanchic, Billy Branch, Peter Wolf, and Kenny Aronoff. A crowning moment was Jim's band performing at Farm Aid 2023, where they played alongside music greats including Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews.

Jim made a monumental impact on the Colts, the city of Indianapolis, the NFL, and the country through his leadership, vision, and initiatives. But his greatest accomplishment in life was his family.

Jim married Margaret Coyle in 1980, and the couple was blessed with three wonderful daughters, Carlie (born 1981), Casey (born 1983) and Kalen (born 1987). All three daughters were immersed in all things Colts at an early age, but Jim insisted that each choose her own path in life, whether that included football or not. He was thrilled though that all three chose to stay involved with the team and train in all facets of the organization. As such, the daughters all were named Vice Chairs & Owners of the Colts in 2012, another point of personal pride for Jim.

Jim was even more thrilled to walk each of his daughters down the aisle for their weddings and watch them start their own families, which now includes 10 grandchildren. Jim loved his family more than anything in the world and could always be found showering them with love at every turn. To them, he wasn't just an NFL owner; he was "Dad" or "Grandpa," and he never let them forget how much he cared for each of them.

When not thinking about football or writing and playing music, Jim had many active hobbies, with one of his favorites being powerlifting. Over many years, he trained in Indianapolis and eventually lifted in competitions around the country. Jim also boxed, played golf, and was an avid runner, having competed in the 26.2-mile "Grandma's Marathon" in Duluth, Minn. in the early 1990s.

Jim's dedication and passion for the Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to community, and most importantly, his love for his family, were unsurpassed. Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and never wavered in his principles. Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but all will remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.

He is survived by daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson; grandchildren Charlotte Irsay-Gordon, AJ Foyt V, Dylan Irsay-Gordon, Lockey Foyt, Elliott Irsay-Gordon, Waylon Foyt, Mabel Jackson, Mills Foyt, Finley Jackson, and Dixie Foyt; and countless Colts and NFL fans across the country and around the world. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Harriet, sister Roberta, and brother Thomas.