WGN Radio host Judy Markey dies by assisted suicide in Switzerland aged 82 after neurological diagnosis

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Judy Markey, who co-hosted Chicago's top-rated 'Kathy and Judy Show' on WGN-AM for two decades, died peacefully on September 11 at a Swiss assisted suicide clinic after being diagnosed with a debilitating neurological disorder in 2024. Her co-host Kathy O'Malley revealed the news, saying Markey's resolve never wavered after she chose a date. She was 82 and had her family by her side.

Markey chose to end her life under Switzerland's Medical Aid in Dying law shortly after her 2024 neurological diagnosis, her obituary states.

Her obituary says she got 'more from life than she ever imagined' after living a 'full and rich lifetime.'