Ethel Kennedy, social activist and widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, died on Thursday, October 10. Born on April 11, 1928, in Chicago Illinois, Mrs. Kennedy was 96 when she died.
Her daughter Kerry, one of the eleven children she raised after her husband’s assassination, announced her mother’s death on X Thursday morning. According to her post, Ethel Kennedy is leaving behind nine of her children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren.
Ethel Kennedy née Skakel married Robert F. Kennedy in 1950. Her father, George Skakel, was a businessman and the founder of the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation. Her family became extremely wealthy from his business ventures, and eventually moved to Greenwich, Connecticut in 1934, where Ethel attended an all-girls academy.
According to AP News, her parents died in a plane crash in 1955.
Her husband, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was shot and killed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968, and died with her by his side. She gave birth to their eleventh child, Rory, only six months after his death.
The couple met in 1945 in Quebec, Canada. Ethel had become friends with his sister, Jean, while attending Manhattanville College, according to her official biography. At the time, he was dating her sister.
In her death, she will also be reunited with her brother who died in a crash in 1966, her son David who died of an overdose, and her son Michael, who died in a skiing accident.
Ethel Kennedy suffered a stroke in her sleep on October 3, which her daughter announced to Ethel’s supporters on X on October 8. In her message, Kerry stated that Ethel was brought to the hospital to receive care and treatment, and was surrounded by family.
According to Stroke.org, a serious stroke like the one that may have afflicted Ethel Kennedy causes the stroke victim to be in a coma or sleep-like state. Often if a stroke causes a coma, chances of survival are slim. Healthline reports, that strokes are most common for patients in their 90s, and it’s the second leading cause of death for people 60 and older.
Kerry noted that her mother had had a fulfilling life, and commended her strength as she and the rest of their family surrounded her.
Despite her tragic past, Ethel Kennedy remained a passionate advocate for democracy and social justice after her husband’s death. She never remarried, and dedicated her life to her children, her family legacy, and advocacy work.
She is the founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which advocates for human rights and education. Her daughter, Kerry, became president of the organization in 2018. She was also a proud advocate for gun control, and a devout Catholic.
In 2014, President Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work towards social justice, environmental protection, human rights, and poverty reduction.
She is now survived by not only her legacy, but her nine children Kerry, Courtney, Kathleen, Joseph, Christopher, Maxwell, Douglas, Rory, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who just ended his presidential bid to endorse Donald Trump.
