ABC News journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts has died at the age of 75, according to reports from ABC News Tuesday, Sept. 17.
"Cokie Roberts will be dearly missed," said James Goldston, president of ABC News, in a report from WVEC. "Cokie's kindness, generosity, sharp intellect and thoughtful take on the big issues of the day made ABC a better place and all of us better journalists."
In her decades-long career, Roberts won countless awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was named one of 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting by the American Women in Radio and Television. She was named a "Living Legend' by the Library of Congress in 2008.
Roberts was "a true pioneer for women in journalism," Goldston said, "well-regarded for her insightful analysis of politics and policy in Washington, D.C., countless newsmaking interviews, and, notably, her unwavering support for generations of young women — and men — who would follow in her footsteps."
She joined ABC News in 1988 and was co-anchor on the Sunday political show "This Week" with Sam Donaldson from 1996 to 2002.
Roberts was in West Michigan back in April 2016. She was the keynote speaker at a Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation's luncheon -- which remembers former first lady Betty Ford on her birthday each year. Roberts was a known friend to the former first lady and the Ford family. During that visit, Roberts offered her take on the GOP presidential race at that time.
Roberts was born Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs. According to WVEC, she got the name "Cokie" from her older brother, who couldn't pronounce Corinne and dubbed her Cokie instead. The name stuck with her ever since.
Her death was due to complication from breast cancer, according to ABC News. She is survived by her husband, fellow journalist Steven Roberts, her children, Lee and Rebecca and her six grandchildren.
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