Washington ( CNN ) -- Trailblazing White House journalist Helen Thomas has died at age 92 after a long illness , sources told CNN Saturday . Thomas covered 10 presidents over nearly half a century , and became a legend in the industry . She was a fixture at White House news conferences -- sitting front and center late in her career -- where she frequently exasperated government spokesmen with her pointed questions . Thomas began covering the White House for United Press International when John F. Kennedy became president in 1961 and was a fixture there until her retirement in 2010 . She was considered the dean of the White House press corps because she was the longest-serving White House journalist . Thomas will be buried in Detroit , and a memorial service is planned in Washington in October , according to her family . President Barack Obama said that it was `` not just the length of her tenure , but her fierce belief that our democracy works best when we ask tough questions and hold our leaders to account , '' that put her in high esteem . In a written statement , Obama called Thomas a `` true pioneer '' and said she kept the presidents she covered -- including himself -- on their toes . `` Helen was just a living inspiration '' Her career , however , came to an end under a cloud of controversy . Thomas , then working for the media conglomerate Hearst as a syndicated columnist , was blasted for comments she made regarding Jewish people . In 2010 , a YouTube video surfaced showing her saying that Israel should `` get the hell out of Palestine , '' and that the Jewish people should go home to `` Poland , Germany ... and America and everywhere else . '' Thomas apologized for her remarks , writing , `` They do not reflect my heartfelt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance . May that day come soon . '' She announced her retirement one week later . In 2012 , Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi presented Thomas with an award . She was a mentor to young journalists . Helen Thomas : Fast Facts . Thomas , the daughter of Lebanese immigrants , was born in Winchester , Kentucky , on August 4 , 1920 . She was one of nine children . Thomas was raised in Detroit , where she attended Wayne State University and graduated with a bachelor 's degree in 1942 . In October 1971 , Thomas married Douglas Cornell ; he died in 1982 . She wrote three books : `` Front Row at the White House : My Life and Times '' ( 1999 ) ; `` Thanks for the Memories Mr. President : Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House '' ( 2002 ) ; and `` Watchdogs of Democracy ? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How it Has Failed the Public '' ( 2006 ) . Share your memories . In describing her job , Thomas once said , `` I 've never covered the president in any way other than that he is ultimately responsible . '' Along the way , she broke some barriers by becoming the first female president of the prestigious White House Correspondents ' Association and Washington 's Gridiron Club . `` I hope there are many women following me right in this same spot , '' she said . Well into her 80s , she was a mentor to many young journalists . Thomas left UPI in May 2000 , when the wire service was sold to a company controlled by the Rev . Sun Myung Moon , the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church . Two months later , Hearst News Service hired her as a syndicated columnist , and she returned to the White House for fodder for her columns . Former President Bill Clinton and his wife , former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , recalled Thomas ' `` tough-minded dedication . '' `` Helen was a pioneering journalist who , while adding more than her share of cracks to the glass ceiling , never failed to bring intensity and tenacity to her White House beat , '' the Clintons said in a statement . `` ... Her work was extraordinary because of her intelligence , her lively spirit and great sense of humor , and most importantly her commitment to the role of a strong press in a healthy democracy . '' No question seemed off-limits . Colleagues remember her as a genuinely fearless woman who asked the toughest questions of presidents , no matter their party . In January 2009 , as President George Bush was preparing to leave office , Thomas aimed her editorial guns at him and his administration . Among her criticisms : that before the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks , administration officials ignored `` significant early warnings of an imminent strike against the U.S. '' Journalists remember Helen Thomas . In a commentary , she slammed Bush for what she considered his failings , including leading the country `` into a senseless war against Iraq , a calamity still under way as he leaves office almost six years after the invasion . '' She considered him `` the worst president ever . '' Thomas embraced the freedoms of a columnist with vigor . `` I censored myself for 50 years when I was a reporter , '' Thomas told an audience at the Massachusetts of Technology ( MIT ) in late 2002 . `` Now I wake up and ask myself , 'Who do I hate today ? ' '' One afternoon in October 2009 , she targeted President Barack Obama 's spokesman , Robert Gibbs , during the daily briefing . Health care reform was being debated at the time , and Thomas asked Gibbs every day whether a public option would be part of the package . In the back-and-forth that ensued , Thomas said that she already had reached a conclusion but could not get a straight answer from the presidential spokesman . `` Then why do you keep asking me ? '' Gibbs inquired . `` Because I want your conscience to bother you , '' Thomas replied . The room broke into laughter as Gibbs turned red . People we 've lost in 2013 . CNN 's Chelsea J. Carter , John King , Wolf Blitzer and journalist Deb Krajnak contributed to this report .
NEW : This means the product will ship as received by the manufacturer, sealed, with all advertised components, and with the manufacturer warranty. Thomas will be buried in Detroit . She was a trailblazer on the White House press corps . Her retirement in 2010 came amid controversy .