September5. 2012
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Page 5
TV Host’s Ailing Mother Dies
Comes as
Robin Roberts
prepares for
life-saving
transplant
(AP) — Lucimarian Roberts, the
m o th e r o f "G o o d M o rn in g
America" co-host Robin Roberts,
has died a day after the anchor
announced she was taking a m edi
cal leave for a bone m arrow trans
plant.
The 88-year-old Roberts died
in G ulfport, M iss., on Thursday
night.
"Robin arrived home with her
sister, Sally-Ann, forging through
flooded and blocked roads to be
with her beloved m other in time to
see her," GMA Senior Executive
Tom Cibrowski said in an email to
the entire news division T hurs
day evening.
The M ississippi area was deal
ing with flooding from the effects
o f Hurricane Isaac.
Over the years, Lucimarian Rob
erts made num erous appearances
on "GMA."
She was a G ulf Coast icon for
more than four decades. She often
was the first black woman to work
with organizations and state and
local agencies, and she became
known for her ability to get things
done.
She was the first black to serve
as chairm an of the M ississippi
State Board of Education in the
1980s.
She also had a great passion for
poetry and music.
Lucim arian Roberts collabo
rated with her daughter on a book
titled, "My Story, My Song —
M other-D aughter Reflections on
Life and Faith."
"I sing because the music of
"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts (right), with her mother Lucimarian Roberts on the set in New York in 2006.
the church speaks my soul lan
guage," she wrote. "I sing be
cause these songs are tightly
woven in to the texture of who I
am.
"She even recorded a CD of
hymns for her fam ily as a gift last
year," said Cibrowski.
The family was gathered in Pass
C hristian, M iss., and planned a
small private service, he said.
The death cam e on the same
day Roberts said goodbye to her
co-w orkers and audience before
starting her medical leave. Sally-
Ann, a m orning anchor at WWL-
TV in New O rleans, is donating
the m arrow to her sister.
Robin Roberts' departure had
been set for Friday. But in a last-
m inute change o f plans, she told
her viewers she was leaving a day
early to visit her ailing mother.
In a statem ent on her Facebook
page, Robin Roberts said she and
Sally-A nn arrived in Gulfport in
time to visit with their m other be
fore she died.
"A CD of her favorite hymns is
playing in her room. So thankful
for my sister, Dorothy, and the
nurses who have been caring for
her. I will cherish these moments
I have with mom. Then focus on
what is ahead of me undergoing a
bone marrow transplant."
Besides her three daughters,
Lucim arian Roberts is survived
by a son and eight grandchildren.
Her husband. Col. Lawrence E.
Roberts, died in 2004 at the age of
81. He was a m em ber o f the all
black U.S. Army Air Corps, also
called the Tuskegee Airm en. He
served in Vietnam , where he was
aw arded one o f his three Legion
o f Merit medals.
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