Entering the new Mater Center on a chilly evening last month, guests of Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda helped officially open the Cokie Boggs Roberts ’60 Theater by attending a fitting tribute to the acclaimed journalist and best-selling author who died of cancer in 2019. The theater is located inside the new facility – a student life center that opened in August, and the first public event held there on Nov. 16 featured Roberts’ husband of 53 years and their niece, an alumna of Stone Ridge. The heart-warming conversation between Steven V. Roberts and Elizabeth Davidsen highlighted Cokie’s life, her faith, and her marriage as recounted in stories from Steven Roberts’ new book, Cokie, A Life Well Lived.

“Cokie never ever lost touch with her core values,” said Roberts, recalling one story from late 1987 when Cokie told a Sunday news television producer the three most important things about her life: her then 20 year marriage to the same man, her residence in the same house she grew up in, and her attendance at Mass every Sunday. She went on to say, “If you remember those three things about me, we’re going to get along just great.” 

Davidsen, an alumna of Stone Ridge and parent of two graduates, kept the conversation going by inviting Roberts, whom she described as “her favorite author and favorite uncle” to share his fondest parts of the book. “Your love for Cokie is evident on every page of this book,” Davidsen added.

The book is full of memories Roberts separated into the many roles his wife fulfilled, including wife, mother, journalist, friend, and believer. “She wanted people to know she attended Mass every Sunday,” Roberts said. “Cokie was very open about her devotion to faith – very open about her devotion to family.” In the book, Roberts balances many recollections about his wife’s public life with her private life of generosity. “She lived the Gospel every day,” recalled Roberts, crediting the Society of the Sacred Heart, the women religious who founded Stone Ridge, for their lessons in faith and love. 

“I’ve written about her life and her past. She’s also about the future, about the next generation that will sit in these chairs,” he said. “Maybe they’ll learn something from her story.”

Cokie Roberts balanced life as a wife and mother during a 40-year career that included working as a radio correspondent for CBS, reporting on Capitol Hill and providing political commentary for NPR, serving as a panelist and anchor for ABC and writing best-selling books.

A journalist, political commentator, professor and best-selling author himself, Steven Roberts said he hopes everyone can learn from his latest book about Cokie’s small moments, acts of kindness and friendship that marked her everyday life. “Not everyone can be a TV star,” Roberts said. “Not everyone can be Cokie Roberts on stage. Everybody can be a good person. Everybody can learn from these small daily private acts of goodness … acts of goodness that started right here at Stone Ridge.”

In her welcoming remarks, Stone Ridge’s Head of School Catherine Ronan Karrels described Cokie as “one of the most approachable, one of the most caring people I have encountered.”

The school’s leader thanked Roberts for his support of the school and the 420-person theater made possible by the philanthropic support of the Roberts family and friends who wanted to honor Cokie. This will be “a space where the next generation of Stone Ridge students will practice plays, give speeches, perform music, deliver presentations – and step by step – gain the courage and confidence that was so characteristic of the woman who is the namesake of this space,” she said.

A member of Stone Ridge’s class of 1986, Ronan Karrels noted Cokie’s willingness to assist with the fundraising campaign that helped raise more than $25 million so far for the new building. She told the audience that Cokie knew how important the building would be for programming for the community and appeared in many videos for the campaign. “There are so many great sound bites in those videos, but I think my favorite was when she said to her fellow alumnae, ‘It’s time we pony up for the next generation.’”

Current students and visitors to the theater are also be greeted by a permanent video exhibit featuring photographs of Cokie Roberts from her time as a student and beyond. “I can’t tell you how full my heart is to be with you here in this moment,” Ronan Karrels added.

Lynne Holland, a member of the class of 1961, found herself in one of the school photos on exhibit – right next to Cokie Roberts during a yearbook meeting. Holland said she already knew some of the stories about Cokie’s life, but “just wanted to be here” to experience the evening and see the theater. She described Cokie as “a good friend for always.”

After the presentation, Steven Roberts, who arrived early and stayed late, continued signing copies of his book. Mary Williams Schaller, a graduate of the class of 1961, showed off her copy with the inscription “to a proud Stone Ridge student.” For Schaller, the evening brought back memories of traditional classes such as literature and history, but “more than that I learned you can do or be what you wanted to be.” Schaller also said she knew Cokie – “with only 100 students in the whole high school, we knew everyone by face and name,” and even back then “Cokie always impressed me as someone who knew who she was and where she was going. All you had to do was take the jump – and Cokie was definitely one who did.” 

Elizabeth Schwartz graduated with Cokie in 1960 and recalled that “in later times our class would get together, and Cokie was always so interested in what everyone else was doing.” Schwartz was at the book talk and signing with Sister Clare Pratt, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart who graduated from Stone Ridge in 1957. Her younger sister, Cinda Pratt Pearlman was one of Cokie’s best friends, and the woman religious recalled both girls spending their free time together. 

For Mary Margaret Lewis, a parent of both a current student and one recent graduate, Cokie Roberts “embodied the Stone Ridge goals” as well as the Catholic tradition of the importance of education and moral values.

Freshman Anna Ponchione attended the talk with her mother, Anita Ponchione, who works with Steven Roberts at George Washington University. “Steve is a fantastic storyteller,” Anita Ponchione said. “It’s inspiring to hear the stories of Cokie as a trailblazer, mother, wife and good friend.”

For Anna Ponchione whose journey at Stone Ridge began in the fall, she already feels welcomed and connected to the entire community and while listening to the talk, she felt inspired by Cokie and later said, “It was fascinating to hear her stories.”