Jillian Cordova, Writer and Journalist, Dies at 77

The New York Times

By Jennifer McNealy

Published: Jan. 31, 2068

Jillian Cordova, a smart, savvy journalist who worked her way up from small-time assistant to editor of the popular women’s magazine, Cosmopolitan, died on Friday in her New York City home from her five-year-battle with breast cancer. She was 77.

Ms. Cordova began her 35-year career in the world of journalism in 2014, shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Bemidji State University in Minnesota. She then fled to the fast-paced city of New York with the intention of becoming a writer for one of the trendiest magazines ever known. Then Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief, Kate White, saw potential in the aspiring journalist and took a chance on her; Cordova was soon after placed in the entertainment department of the magazine.

At first she did the mundane: getting coffee, taking phone calls, and making appointments for the numerous executives in the company. But, said niece, Liz Sawyer, 72, she wanted more than just being an assistant; she wanted to put her ideas into action. She wanted to see her work come to life in print. Most of all, she wanted to show others what she loved to do. She pitched idea after idea, each time being shot down, until finally then deputy editor—Esther Crain—caved.

“She was quite persistent,” Crain said in a 2035 documentary. “I saw that persistence as an indication of how hard she was willing to work. I knew I had to give Jillian a chance to show everyone just how talented she really was.”

And work hard is just what Ms. Cordova did. After completing her first article, entitled “How to Catch His Eye and Steal His Heart,” things only got better for the journalist. She soon found that employing humor within her writing was the direction she wanted to go, and five years after she joined the magazine, she was given her own advice column.

In the column, “Dear Jillian: Tips for the Lonely, Lost, or Just Plain Clueless,” she poked fun at the seemingly insignificant problems of day-to-day life. It was a hit among readers for the next ten years until she finally was appointed Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief. Years after her retirement, Cordova was quoted as saying, “The day I found I had become editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan was perhaps one of the best of my life. Never did I think that I, small-town girl from South Dakota, would fulfill my wildest of dreams.”

Ms. Cordova was born Nov. 30, 1991 in the small town of Sturgis, So. Dak. After graduating from the local high school in 2010, she attended Bemidji State University. Cordova made this decision based on internet research and her desire to go to college out-of-sate. Survivors include her niece, Liz Sawyer, son, Brent Peterson, and daughter, Brielle McNamee. Also included are her children’s spouses and her 6 grandchildren. Ms. Cordova’s late husband, James Peterson, lost his life in 2065 to a heart attack.

Her colleagues called her determined, meticulous, smart, and willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. Because of it, she created and maintained a career that most would die for to obtain. Her work in the field of journalism changed the way women viewed their bodies, relationships, and overall self-image, according to Abigail Greene, former Cosmopolitan entertainment director.

“After Jillian took the position as editor-in-chief, Cosmo saw big changes. She sought to take our magazine to another level, one that would help us grow and learn, while still being able to retain the overall message of Cosmopolitan: that it is made for real women by real women.”

Jillian Cordova had a strong passion for her family, says son Brent of his late mother.

“No matter how busy she was with her career, she always found time for Brielle and me; nothing was more important to her than our well-being. I know she would have quit her job in a second if it would have benefitted us. Her struggle with cancer was difficult, but at least now she is at peace, and we know she is in a better place.”