Cokie Roberts’ Children: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Cokie Roberts died at the age of 75 from complications with breast cancer. She leaves behind a son, a daughter, six grandchildren, and a loving husband Steven Roberts. Steven and Cokie were married in 1966 and neither had been married before or since. By the time of Cokie’s death, they had been married for more than 50 years. The two loved each other deeply and had two children together: Lee and Rebecca.

1. Cokie Roberts’ Son, Lee Roberts, Married His Wife in 1997 While He Worked for Morgan Stanley

Lee Harriss Roberts married Elizabeth Gray McDonald in 1997, according to The New York Times. At the time of their marriage, Elizabeth was a reporter for Bloomberg News in Washington, but was planning to move to the London bureau. Lee Roberts was an associate with Morgan Stanley in London when they were married. They met in 1985 when they were both congressional pages. Elizabeth goes by Liza Roberts now, according to a 2014 article in  Biz Journals. In 2014 she was the editor and general manager of Raleigh’s Walter magazine.

Lee graduated from Duke University and has a law degree from Georgetown.

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 for a Fund IV campaign in 2006, Biz Journals noted. After working at Cherokee for two years, Lee started Beacon Partners, a real estate investment and development firm. In 2010, Lee joined VantageSouth Bank as the COO. He was also appointed to the North Carolina Banking Commission.

2. In 2014, Lee Roberts Was Appointed the North Carolina Budget Director & Left the Post a Couple of Years Later

In 2014, Lee Roberts replaced Art Pope as the North Carolina budget director, Biz Journals reported. He said about North Carolina’s situation at the time: “We have solid ratings — AAA rating from all three agencies. We’re very well reserved … and the more you dig into it, the better you feel about the state’s foundation. I’m not saying there’s not ways we can be better stewards, but the management of our state finances has been very efficient.”

Lee was appointed to the position by Gov. Pat McCrory. In February 2016, it was announced that he was leaving the position to return to work in the private sector, News Observer and Charlotte Observer reported. State Senate Leader Phil Berger said in a statement: “Lee Roberts’ razor-sharp business sense and steady hand leading the State Budget Office will be missed by taxpayers across this state – especially me. As State Budget Director, Lee served the people of North Carolina with integrity and distinction, and his resignation is a big loss.”

Lee is now the managing partner of SharpVue Capital in North Carolina.

3.  Cokie Roberts’ Daughter, Rebecca Roberts, Was Married in the Garden of Her Parents’ Home

At the age of 27 in the late 1990s, Rebecca Boggs Roberts was producing a public radio show called Beyond Computers. She got engaged to Daniel Hartman, a financial consultant, People reported in 1998. They were married in the garden of her parents’ home, where her parents were married more than 30 years earlier. Rebecca’s wedding had a guest list of 600 and Cokie oversaw all the planning while her daughter lived in San Francisco. Becca told People at the time: “We have similar tastes and we really like each other. I’ve known since I was born that basically all I get to pick for this wedding is my dress and my groom.”

Rebecca and Daniel met while they were working in Philadelphia. Rev. James Ford, the chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives at the time, officiated Rebecca’s wedding. Becca is half Catholic and half Jewish and Daniel is Methodist, so their ceremony celebrated all three faiths.

According to her website, she lives in D.C. with her husband, three sons, and “a big fat dog.” She has a bachelor’s in political science from Princeton and a master’s in physical and biological anthropology from George Washington University.

4. Rebecca Roberts Is a Journalist Who’s Helping Open the Museum ‘Planet Word’ in 2020

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As of 2014, Rebecca was a reporter for NPR and XM Radio as of 2014, Biz Journals reported. Cokie told Richmond.com in 2015 that Rebecca was a producer for programs with the Smithsonian. She also was a host in 2008 for POTUS ’08 on XM Radio, a radio show that gave live coverage of the 2008 presidential election. She was also the program director for the Historic Congressional Cemetery for nearly four years.

Today, according to Rebecca’s website, she’s a journalist, producer, tour guide, forensic anthropologist, event consultant, political consultant, jazz singer, and radio talk show host. She’s the Curator of Programming for Planet Word. Her LinkedIn says the museum is opening in Spring 2020.

5. Steven & Cokie Roberts Have Six Grandchildren & Cokie Said Her Role Was To Be Their Cheerleader

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In addition to their two children, Steven and Cokie also have six grandchildren. Cokie told Richmond.com in 2015 that her role as a grandparent was to be a cheerleader, just like her mom did for her. She said: “(My mother) was always telling me my kids were fine, they were great. Give it a rest. She was right. They were fine and they are great. Now my children are grown and I have six perfect grandchildren. I remember so well how hard it was to work and raise children. I see my role as being a cheerleader. I really am a huge admirer of what they do. They’re terrific, and their kids are terrific.”

In 2006, daughter Rebecca told the Washingtonian that Steve Roberts drove her five-year-old twins to school every day. “They even have their own secret theme song.”