Cubs super fan "The Pink Hat Guy" dies at 81

One of the most recognizable Cubs fans has passed away. Jim Anixter, also known as "The Pink Hat Guy" died Tuesday, June 30, at Lake Forest Hospital surrounded by his family and loved ones. His cause of death has not been released, but his family tells WBBM he died from complications following a surgery. WBBM's Mai Martinez was a longtime friend of Anixter's and talk to him a few years ago about his love of the Cubs and the meaning behind his pink hat. "I've been at every opening day since 1967 through 2019 however with the pandemic, that was messed up in 2020," recalled Anixter during a 2023 interview. Anixter was a fixture at Cubs games for nearly six decades--spending much of that time sitting right behind home plate in his signature pink hat. It's a tradition that started more than 30 years ago. "1990 the All-Star game was at Wrigley Field so I wore a pink hat and then my cousin said why don't you make a hat called 'The Pink Hat Guy,'" he explained. Anixter, who was also a successful businessman did just that--even getting a trademark for the name and the hats which he would give away with a simple request--a donation to the American Cancer Society. "The best thing about The Pink Hat Guy" though is that I'm trying to make people aware of how bad cancer is. I'm trying in my own way to make a cure for cancer," he explained. Because as Jim's family and friends will tell you he loved helping others just as much as he loved the Cubs. Anixter's funeral service will be livestreamed on the Shalom Memorial Funeral Home website at 1pm on Friday, July 3, 2026. In lieu of flowers, and in keeping with the tradition of Jim’s Pink Hat, his family is asking that memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society