A mother, a wife and a pioneer who was gone too soon. 

According to ABC, American journalist Mary “Cokie” Roberts passed away on Tuesday, September 17 at the age of 75 due to complications resulting from breast cancer. 

Roberts possessed the qualities of both a professional and feminist, as she was unapologetically herself amidst a field mainly driven by men. 

“I knew of Cokie Roberts from Morning Edition on National Public Radio (NPR) when I was growing up, and later some of her news articles and TV interviews,” Xavier English teacher Ms. Sarah Hayes said. “So what I really remember about her is her voice; she was an incredibly intelligent and well-spoken woman who had a very diplomatic way of asking questions. They asked her interview subject and her audience to reflect deeply on what was best for the country.”

An article published by CBS stated a funeral mass was held in Roberts’s honor at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C. on the evening of Saturday, September 21. 

As a devout Catholic, she was commemorated for her courage and position as a bestselling author, as well as a political analyst and reporter for ABC News and NPR. 

“Cokie Roberts was a trailblazer who forever transformed the role of women in the newsroom and in our history books,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a statement released shortly after Roberts’s passing. “As she helped tell the full story of America’s history, she helped shape its future – inspiring countless young women and girls to follow in her ground-breaking footsteps.” 

Despite one’s viewpoints regarding political parties, Pelosi’s words bring together an audience comprised of individuals who identify as both liberal and conservative, when she also stated  Roberts was a “national treasure whose passing is a great loss for America.” 

Although Roberts left behind her husband, children and grandchildren, she also left behind a legacy; one that is instilled in a nation, which is determined to help shape the  future for generations to come.