ON Monday, 14 NOV 16, I was driving home to Scandia, PA for a family funeral when I heard Gwen Ifill died, having lost her fight with cancer. My Aunt Linda lost her fight with cancer on 10 NOV 16. Cancer doesn't care if you are famous, it strikes all kinds of people. Both were strong ladies of faith that cancer took from us too soon. The church was full of family and friends who loved Linda and are missing her. I'll bet the same was true at Gwen Ifill's funeral too. I know you will rest in peace Aunt Linda until that day the trumpet sounds! If you would like to honor my Aunt Linda's life, or the life of anyone you know who is fighting cancer, is a cancer survivor or has been taken from you by cancer please make a donation to your local chapter of the American Cancer Society .
Morry Gash/AP
Al Behrman/AP
Kevin Clark/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Linda E. Schwanke, 69, of Greenhurst, passed away Thursday, November 10, 2016 in WCA Hospital surrounded by loved ones.
She was the wife of Donald A. Schwanke, whom she married July 16, 1983.
Linda was born March 10, 1947 in Pomfret, NY, and was an active member of Fluvanna Community Church.
Her family was her number one passion and they will forever remember her love and kind hugs. Heaven has now gained a beautiful soul.
An avid NASCAR fan, Linda knew all of the drivers and teams and enjoyed talking about any race.
In addition to her husband, surviving are two daughters, Michele (Anthony) Carey and Shannon Schwanke, both of Denver, CO; four granddaughters: Chanelle, Ashley, Nicole and Lauren and a grandson, William; as well as five greatgrandchildren, two sisters and three brothers.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Fluvanna Community Church. The Rev. Dayle F. Keefer will officiate. The family will greet friends in the fellowship hall of the church following the service Tuesday.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in honor of Linda Schwanke to the American Cancer Society, Memorials Center, P.O. Box 7, E. Syracuse, NY 13057.
Condolences for Linda’s family may be made at www.lindfuneralhome.com.
Gwen Ifill, Host Of 'Washington Week' And 'PBS NewsHour,' Dies
Gwen Ifill, one of the most prominent political journalists in the country, has died, according to PBS. She was 61.
When she took the helm of Washington Week in Review in 1999, Ifill became the first African-American woman to host a major political TV talk show. Ifill covered seven presidential campaigns and moderated the vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008. More recently, she moderated a presidential primary debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Ifill was also the best-selling author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
In 2013, Ifill was named co-host of the PBS NewsHour. In an interview with The New York Times, she reflected on what her appointment could mean to a new generation.
Veteran Washington Journalist Gwen Ifill Dies At 61
"When I was a little girl watching programs like this — because that's the kind of nerdy family we were — I would look up and not see anyone who looked like me in any way. No women. No people of color," she said. "I'm very keen about the fact that a little girl now, watching the news, when they see me and Judy [Woodruff] sitting side by side, it will occur to them that that's perfectly normal — that it won't seem like any big breakthrough at all."
Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, said Ifill was "a fundamental reason public media is considered a trusted window on the world."
"Her contributions to thoughtful reporting and civic discourse simply cannot be overstated," Kerger said. "She often said that her job was to bring light rather than heat to issues of importance to our society. Gwen did this with grace and steadfast commitment to excellence."
In a news conference, President Obama said he appreciated Ifill's reporting even when she posed tough questions to him.
"She always kept faith with the fundamental responsibility of her profession, asking tough questions, holding people in power accountable and defending a strong and free press that makes our democracy work," Obama said.
Journalist Ray Suarez, who began working at NewsHour on the same day as Ifill in 1999, told Here & Now that Ifill was a mix of things.
"She was evenhanded yet tenacious," Suarez said. "She was exteriorly cool, if that's even a word, but at the same time very emotionally and passionately committed to the work she did."
Journalist Gwen Ifill: In Her Own Words
Ifill was a preacher's daughter. She was born in New York City to a Panamanian immigrant father and a Barbadian mother. She started her journalism career as a print reporter for the Baltimore Evening Sun and the Boston Herald American. She went on to become a national political reporter for The Washington Post and the White House correspondent for The New York Times.
Ifill died after a battle with cancer.
NPR's Neda Ulaby contributed to this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment