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Cokie Roberts passed away at the age of 75 from complications associated with breast cancer. She leaves behind a loving husband, children, and six grandchildren. Read on to learn more about her family.
1. Cokie Roberts Got the Nickname ‘Cokie’ from Her Brother Tommy
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Cokie Roberts’ full name is Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs. She was born in 1943. Her brother, Tommy Boggs, was a D.C. attorney and lobbyist who died in 2014. Her sister, Barbara Boggs Sigmund, was mayor of Princeton and a candidate for the Senate. Barbara died in 1990 at the age of 51 following an eight-year battle with cancer.
Cokie Roberts got the nickname “Cokie” from her brother Tommy. He couldn’t say Corinne, so he called her Cokie instead. The name stuck.
2. Cokie Roberts’ Father Died in a Mysterious Plane Crash
Cokie’s father, Hale Boggs, died in a mysterious plane crash. He was elected to the House for the first time in 1940 but lost a re-election bid in 1942, according to House.gov. After serving in World War II, he was re-elected in 1946. He was still serving in the House of Representatives when his plane disappeared during a campaign trip to Alaska in October 1972. At the time, he was serving as Majority Leader.
Also on board with Hale were Rep. Nick Begich, his aide Russell Brown and pilot Don Jonz. No one could locate an emergency transmission signal from the Cessna and the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the pilot and the plane did not have an emergency location transmitter during the flight.
Hale Boggs‘ plane was never found and he was presumed dead. His crash was the subject of some conspiracy theories, since he was on the Warren Commission and dissented from the majority’s single bullet theory.
3. Cokie’s Mother Replaced Her Husband’s Congressional Seat
With the sad news today of the death of @CokieRoberts, my mind flashes to this photo — one of my favorites — of her extraordinary family in D.C., including Hale Boggs, Lindy Boggs and (at left) a pint-sized Cokie. Today marks the end of an era in #Louisiana #politics. #RIP
Lindy Boggs was elected to fill her husband’s position in the House in a special election in March 1973, after his seat was declared vacant, according to House.gov. She was a member of the Appropriations Committee and was re-elected to her House position seven times until she left office in 1991. She was also the first woman to preside of the Democratic National Convention (she presided in 1976.)
In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her as the ambassador to the Holy See. She held that position until 2001.
4. Cokie’s Son Was the North Carolina Budget Director & Her Daughter Is Opening a Museum in 2020
Cokie Roberts had two children: Lee Roberts and Rebecca Roberts. Lee Roberts married Elizabeth Gray McDonald in 1997 while he was working for Morgan Stanely. While working at Morgan Stanley in New York City, Lee met Tom Stanley, CEO of Cherokee Investment Partners in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lee helped him raise $1.2 billion and worked for Cherokee for two years, Biz Journals reported. He then started Beacon Partners, a real estate investment and development firm. In 2010, Lee joined VantageSouth Bank as the COO.
In 2014, Lee Roberts replaced Art Pope as the North Carolina budget director, Biz Journals reported. His work in that position was highly praised. In February 2016, he left to return to the private sector. Lee is now the managing partner of SharpVue Capital in North Carolina.
Cokie’s daughter, Rebecca Boggs Roberts, married Daniel Hartman, a financial consultant, in the late 1990s, People reported. According to her website, she now lives in D.C. with her husband, three sons, and “a big fat dog.”
As of 2014, Rebecca was a reporter for NPR and XM Radio as of 2014, Biz Journals reported. She then worked for the Smithsonian.
Today, according to Rebecca’s website, she’s the Curator of Programming for Planet Word. Her LinkedIn says the museum is opening in Spring 2020.
5. Cokie Roberts & Her Husband Were Married for More than 50 Years
2017 column on the long marriage of Cokie and Steven Roberts that’s worth reading: “Marrying the right person is the single most important decision you’ll ever make in your life. Everything else is secondary”
Cokie Roberts and her husband, Steven Roberts, were married in 1966. When she died they had been married for more than 50 years. When they married, 1,500 people attended their backyard wedding and her mother cooked for them. Cokie’s daughter was later married in that same location. Steven once said that he was “bowled over” by his wife’s intellect, The New York Times reported. They loved each other deeply.
Cokie Roberts had six grandchildren. She once said that her job was to be their cheerleader.