Cokie Roberts: A paragon

Do you have heroes? Sure, we all do.

As a kid, my heroes typically was astronauts, my Grandparents, and my uncles, and especially my parents. In later years as I matured, my heroes were writers, especially journalists. How could I not? My generation had David Brinkley, Chet Huntley, David Chancellor, Howard K. Smith, Harry Reasoner. Roger Mudd, Dan Rather, and at the top of the heap, the venerable Walter Cronkite, often called the most trusted man in America.

In the 1980s to the present, the news has been delivered to us by Jane Pauley, Barbara Walters, David Muir, Hugh Downs, Diane Sawyer, Tom Brokaw, Gwen Ifill, Lesley Stahl, Andrea Mitchell, Judy Woodruff, and Peter Jennings.

News reporters were my guiding light. Journalists inspired me. A few years back I ran into Mike Collins, a longtime local news anchor, at our store (Barnes & Noble). I sheepishly walked up to him and told him how much he had inspired me to become a Navy journalist.

In subsequent years, one name I grew to admire and respect was NPR/ABC News' reporter-anchor-commentator Cokie Roberts. I was introduced to her as a member of the team on ABC News This Week with David Brinkley, George Will, and Sam Donaldson. She later co-anchored the program with Sam Donaldson after Brinkley retired.

Years later, I was pleased to learn she also was a commentator on NPR. and delighted any time she contributed.

Cokie died today from breast cancer at the age of 75.

In my view, Roberts was brilliant. She was insightful. She was relentless and fearless. She was funny and her wit was sharp yet gentle. Above all, she was a consummate professional. She made it all look easy when questioning the politicians who found themselves on the receiving end of her demands for answers.

She said in a recent interview she would like to be remembered as a mother, a wife and a friend to those for whom she cared. I do not think she will be forgotten by any who cherish unbiased, integrity-based journalism.

I deeply mourned Walter Cronkite's passing in 2009. His death hit me hard. No one lives forever, but I think I will feel as deep a sorrow for Roberts' passing as I did for Cronkite.

Roberts is survived by her husband Steven, her daughter Rebecca, son Lee and their six grandchildren.