Politics

Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, dead at 96

Published on

October 10, 2024

Ethel Kennedy in 2018 (Credit: Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington National Cemetery)

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the sister-in-law of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has died from complications of a stroke, her family announced on Thursday. She was 96.

Kennedy suffered a stroke in her sleep on October 3 and remained hospitalized over the past week while surrounded by her loved ones. She passed away on Thursday morning, exactly a week after the stroke, according to a statement from the family.

“She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted in 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 said.

It added: “Please keep her in your hearts and prayers.”

Her grandson, Joe Kennedy III, said earlier this week that Kennedy had a “great summer and transition into fall” during which she enjoyed time with her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“She was able to get out on the water, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with family,” Joe said on Tuesday. “It has been a gift to all of us and to her as well.”

Ethel Kennedy is survived by 9 children, 34 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Her children include former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., former Maryland Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, human rights activist Kerry Kennedy, and former Massachusetts state lawmaker Joseph P. Kennedy II.

Ethel Kennedy was a human rights advocate who was married to Robert F. Kennedy, the U.S. Senator from New York who was running for president when he was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.

His assassination came less than 5 years after his brother, President John F. Kennedy, was shot and killed while riding a presidential motorcade through Dallas, Texas.

Ethel Kennedy founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in 1968 to promote a just and peaceful world. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.