Michelle Obama is among thousands who gather to celebrate the life of first female co-anchor Gwen Ifill at a memorial service in Washington

  • Gwen Ifill died Monday aged 61 after a yearlong battle with cancer
  • A memorial service was held Saturday at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington
  • First Lady Michelle Obama was among the attendees to pay their respects
  • Judy Woodruff, who with Ifill became half of the history-making team that were the first female co-anchors of a major broadcast, spoke at the service
  • She said: 'We didn't look like other anchor pairs - and we loved that' 

By Associated Press

Published: 16:34 EST, 19 November 2016 | Updated: 18:57 EST, 19 November 2016

Thousands of mourners - including first lady Michelle Obama - remembered and celebrated veteran Washington journalist Gwen Ifill on Saturday, recalling her as a standard bearer, cherished friend, devoted mentor and woman of abiding faith.

Ifill died Monday at 61 after a yearlong battle with cancer. Mrs Obama did not speak at the service, but several journalists and political figures offered reflections.

'We didn't look like other anchor pairs - and we loved that,' said Judy Woodruff, half of the history-making team that became the first female co-anchors of a major news broadcast in 2013. 

The two co-hosted PBS' 'NewsHour'. Woodruff added that Ifill is needed 'more than ever.'

Attendees arrive at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church for the memorial service for journalist Gwen Ifill in Washington

Attendees recalled her as a standard bearer, cherished friend, devoted mentor and woman of abiding faith

Woodruff and Ifill smile during a Bloomberg Politics interview on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, July 28, 2016

'Never have we faced tougher challenges, and no one would've risen to them better,' she added. Ifill, she added, will 'be our compass'.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder read a letter from President Obama, who was in Peru. Holder likened Ifill to 'a comet' and challenged the colleagues she leaves behind to honor her legacy with their work by holding those in power accountable.

'Will you cower? Will you normalize that which is anything but?' Holder asked in a veiled reference to the incoming administration of Donald Trump.

First lady Michelle Obama is seen at the servive which remembered the co-anchor

The service, held at the historic Metropolitan A.M.E. Church - where Ifill was a longtime member - was also a grand display of her faith and roots as the daughter of Caribbean immigrants whose father was a leader of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her pastor of many years, Bishop James L. Davis, recalled Ifill as 'brilliance cloaked in humility.'

A former reporter for The New York Times and The Washington Post, Ifill transitioned to television in the 1990s, covering politics and Congress for NBC News. 

She moved to PBS in 1999 as host of 'Washington Week' and also worked for 'NewsHour.' She moderated vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.

A former reporter for The New York Times and The Washington Post, Ifill transitioned to television in the 1990s, covering politics and Congress for NBC News. Attendees are seen arriving at the memorial service 

The pews were filled with journalists, politicians, her mentees, family and friends. People are seen above arriving at the service 

Woodruff (L) and Ifill attend The Women's Media Center 2015 Women's Media Awards on November 5, 2015 in New York City

Ifill seen at The Women's Media Center 2015 Women's Media Awards at Capitale on November 5, 2015 in New York City

John Dickerson, host of CBS' 'Face the Nation' who joined Ifill as a regular panelist on 'Washington Week,' said Ifill 'wore her grace like a garment,' but added her infectious laugh came with a withering scowl.

'I'm not going to say it in church, but there's a very specific word for what Gwen could detect,' Dickerson said.

The pews were filled with journalists, politicians, her mentees, family and friends, including civil rights attorney Vernon Jordan, interim Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, veteran journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, New York Times columnist David Brooks, former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw, Donald Trump surrogate Omarosa Manigault, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilynn Ifill, the journalist's younger cousin.

'She was the shining star in our family,' Sherrilynn Ifill said of Gwen. 'She was the most American of success stories. Her life and her work made this country better. She did the hard work for us for so long ... It's time to take her example and do what she did.'

Ifill took a leave from 'NewsHour' last spring for health reasons, but kept the details of her illness private. 

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