Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, has passed away at the age of 96. She was also the mother of Kerry Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the latter of whom recently ran for president.
Kerry Kennedy shared a statement on X, saying, “With hearts full of love, we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy. She passed away this morning from complications related to a stroke she suffered last week.”
The statement continued, “In addition to a lifetime dedicated to social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and countless nieces and nephews, all of whom adored her.”
Ethel Kennedy was known for her deep faith as a devout Catholic and daily communicant. “We take comfort knowing she is reunited with the love of her life, our father, Robert F. Kennedy; her children David and Michael; her daughter-in-law Mary; her grandchildren Maeve and Saoirse; and her great-grandchildren Gideon and Josie,” the statement added.
Born in Chicago in 1928, Ethel grew up in Connecticut, where her father ran a successful coal business. She was just 17 when she met her future husband, Bobby Kennedy, who at the time was dating her sister Patricia, according to the JFK Library.
Ethel and Bobby married on June 17, 1950, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Together, they campaigned for Bobby’s brother, John F. Kennedy, during his successful 1960 presidential run, after which Bobby served as U.S. attorney general in his brother’s administration.
Ethel supported her husband’s political ambitions even after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, up until Bobby’s own tragic death in 1968, when he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
In recognition of her lifelong advocacy for social causes, Ethel Kennedy was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. At the White House ceremony, President Obama praised her efforts, saying, “She’s gone to extraordinary lengths to build support for causes close to her heart.”
