Michelle Obama Joins Mourners at Gwen Ifill’s Funeral
Michelle Obama greets Gwen Ifill’s family members at the journalist’s funeral in Washington D.C. (Published 36 minutes ago)
First Lady Michelle Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder were among those who attended funeral services for trailblazing journalist Gwen Ifill Saturday.
Mourners gathered at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. for the services, which were presided over by Senior Pastor Reverend William H. Lamar.
Holder was among those who spoke at the funeral, joining journalists John Dickerson and Judy Woodruff in offering reflections on Ifill’s life.
Ifill, the former moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour, died on Nov. 14 after a cancer battle. She was 61.
In October 1999, Ifill became the moderator of the PBS program “Washington Week in Review.” She was also senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. Ifill has appeared on various news shows, including “Meet the Press.”
A former newspaper reporter, Ifill switched to television and worked for NBC News and PBS. She moderated two vice presidential debates.
She took a leave from her nightly show for health reasons earlier this year, never making public her illness. A week ago, she went out on leave again, taking her away from election night coverage.
President Obama remarked on Ifill’s passing at a press conference after Ifill died. “Gwen was a friend of ours and extraordinary journalist. She always asked tough questions, holding people in power accountable. I always appreciated her reporting, even when I was on the receiving end of one of her tough interviews,” he said.
“She not only informed today’s citizens, but she also inspired today’s journalists Gwen did her country a great service and Michelle and I join her family and everyone who loved her in remembering her fondly today,” he continued.
Sara Just, PBS “NewsHour” executive producer, called Ifill “a standard bearer for courage, fairness and integrity in an industry going through seismic change.”
In Memoriam: Gwen Ifill
Published 2 hours ago | Updated 15 minutes ago
