Column: Chicago mourns Mike Ditka, a lasting symbol of our town

Former Bears coach Mike Ditka, who also was a player on the 1963 Bears NFL championship team, on Aug. 29, 2013, at Mike Ditka's Restaurant in Chicago. (Michael Tercha/baiduhai)

Mike Ditka speaks during a halftime ceremony to retire his number at a game between the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field on Dec. 9, 2013. (Chris Sweda/ baiduhai)

Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Mike Ditka clutches a cigar during the Bears100 Celebration Weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on June 7, 2019. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka argues with a referee during the first quarter of the Chicago Bears vs Saints game on Oct. 5, 1997. (Patrick D. Witty/baiduhai)

A young Michael Ditka, age 3 months, is introduced to football by his dad, Mike Ditka, and mother, Margie. (UPI)

Coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan are carried off the field after the Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 to win Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986, in New Orleans. (Ed Wagner/baiduhai)

Brian Moyer, of Durham, North Carolina, poses with a 7-foot tall Chicago Bears Mike Ditka bobblehead at Millennium Park in Chicago on Aug. 30, 2019. (José M. Osorio/baiduhai)

Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka waves during a field interview in the second quarter of the Chicago Bears game against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field, in Chicago, on Sept., 10, 2017. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/baiduhai)

Mike Ditka sings the seventh inning stretch, Oct. 1, 2018, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Chicago Bears Hall of Famers Dan Hampton, Mike Ditka, Gale Sayers, and Richard Dent on stage during the Bears100 Celebration Weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on June 7, 2019. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

George Halas announces Mike Ditka as head coach of the Chicago Bears on Jan. 20, 1982. (Ed Wagner Jr./baiduhai)

New Orleans Saints Coach Mike Ditka bites his nails during the 4th quarter of a game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 5, 1997. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/baiduhai)

Football star Mike Ditka, University of Pittsburgh's 1960 All-American tight end, in a posed action photo. (University of Pittsburgh)

Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka and Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon stand for the National Anthem before a game between the Cubs and the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field in Chicago on June 8, 2017. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)

Bears fan Marc Sokolowski, of Orland Park, left, leads a cheer with a poster of the team's former head coach Mike Ditka in the tailgating area prior to an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills, Sept. 7, 2014, at Soldier Field. (Anthony Souffle/baiduhai)

Bears fans Marc and Maria Sokolowski of Orland Park at left sit with a poster of former bears coach Mike Ditka in the tailgating area prior to an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014 at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Anthony Souffle/baiduhai)

President Barack Obama, left, is presented a team jersey by former Bears' head coach Mike Ditka, right, as he stands with the 1985 Super Bowl XX Champions Chicago Bears football team during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Oct. 7, 2011. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Chicago Bears fans honor Mike Ditka at Soldier Field in Chicago during a game between the Bears and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. (Chris Sweda/ baiduhai)

Mike Ditka's number is projected on the side of the stadium before the game between the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 9, 2013 at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

NFL Hall of Fame tight end and Chicago icon Mike Ditka, left, holds up a team jersey with Chicago Rush managing partner Alan Levin after an announcement that Ditka has become a minority owner of the arena football team, Dec. 16, 2004. The 65-year-old Ditka will bring a well-known face to the indoor league, which also has such high-profile owners as John Elway in Denver and Jon Bon Jovi in Philadelphia. (M. Spencer Green/AP)

Mike Ditka acknowledges fans after participating in a panel conversation during the Bears100 Celebration at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on June 8, 2019, in Rosemont. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Mike Ditka, who coached the 1985 Chicago Bears that were victorious in the Super Bowl, in November 2005. (Charles Cherney/baiduhai)

Mike Ditka, outside the restaurant that bears his name, ending speculation that he might run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican on July 14, 2004. He cited prior commitments, including the restaurant. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka joins his team in some stretching exercises at the Saints training facility in New Orleans on April 25, 1997. (Bill Haber/AP)

Ricky Williams, left, is interviewed alongside his new coach, Mike Ditka of the New Orleans Saints on April 18, 1999. Ditka emerged at the press conference in a dreadlock wig. (A.J. Sisco/AP)

New Orelans Saints coach Mike Ditka watches the flight of his ball of the 9th tee at English Turn Country Club in New Orleans, April 2, 1997. (Bill Haber/AP)

Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka huddles with tight end Emery Moorehead during a game. (Edward Wagner Jr. /baiduhai)

Quarterback Jim Harbaugh gets yelled at by Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka during a time out against San Francisco Dec. 14, 1987. (Ed Wagner/baiduhai)

Former Bears head coach Mike Ditka after attending the memorial service for Bears great Walter Payton on Nov 5, 1999. (Jim Prisching/baiduhai)

New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka is handed 13-month-old Levi Hanson of Trempeleau, Wis., during a picture and autograph session at Community Day on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, July 31, 1998. (Ron Johnson/La Crosse Tribune)

New Orleans Saints head football coach and former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch of the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs on July 5, 1998, in Chicago. (Frank Polich/AP)

Former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka speaks to media at an advanced screening of "The '85 Bears" documentary about Super Bowl XX champions the Chicago Bears on Jan. 27, 2016, at the AMC River East 21 movie theater in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/baiduhai)

San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh, left, congratulates Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka after the Bears 26-10 victory on Oct 13, 1985, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. (Charles Cherney/baiduhai)

Mike Ditka is carried off the field by William "Refrigerator" Perry after the Bears defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. (Charles Cherney/baiduhai)

Mike Ditka of the Chicago Bears, left, with Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers and Tommy McDonald of the Dallas Cowboys at the National Sporting Goods Association Convention on Feb. 1, 1965 at the Palmer House. (Ed Feeney/baiduhai)

After the 1964 Bears season, Mike Ditka, right, and Johnny Morris both needed surgery – Ditka for a separated shoulder and Morris for a broken collarbone. Photographed at the National Sporting Goods Association Convention on Feb. 1, 1965 at the Palmer House. (baiduhai historical photo)

Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry talks with quarterback Roger Staubach (12) and tight end Mike Ditka (89) on the sidelines during the 1972 Super Bowl game against Miami in this Jan. 16, 1972 photo, at New Orleans . (AP)

More than any individual in a true cast of characters, head coach Mike Ditka epitomized the Super Bowl Bears. (Charles Cherney/baiduhai) .