Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy’s widow and staunch human rights advocate, died Wednesday after suffering a stroke, a family member confirmed to CBS News. She was 96 years old.
She suffered a stroke in her sleep on October 3, her grandson Joe Kennedy III posted on social media earlier this week. He described his “incredible grandmother” as a “strong woman who led a remarkably fulfilling life”.
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Matriarch of the Kennedy political dynasty, Ethel Kennedy gave birth to her 11th child, Rory, six months after her husband. was murdered in 1968, while celebrating his victory in California’s Democratic presidential primary.
In the months following the death of her husband and the birth of her youngest child, she founded the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation for Human Rights in October 1968. The organization celebrated her husband’s dedication and others to human rights and public service by supporting programs for rights defenders. across the world.
“For over half a century, my mother has stood up for justice, alongside human rights defenders around the world,” her daughter Kerry wrote on Facebook on April 11, her mother’s 96th birthday.
Ethel Skakel Kennedy was born in Chicago in 1928 and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. His father built a successful coal business, making the family wealthy. She was just 17 when she met her future husband, Bobby Kennedy, who was then dating her sister Patricia, according to the JFK Library website.
Ethel and Bobby were married June 17, 1950 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenwich. Passionate about public service, the couple campaigned for Bobby’s brother, John F. Kennedy, during his campaign for president in 1960. Bobby Kennedy served as attorney general in his brother’s administration.
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After The assassination of JFK in 1963she continued to support Bobby as he pursued his political career. He was a leading contender for the White House when he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June 1968.
After her husband’s death, in addition to her work at the human rights center, Ethel Kennedy co-chaired the Coalition for Gun Control and became involved in many other human rights organizations. ‘man.
President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony in 2014, where she was praised for her perseverance and generosity.
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“She has gone to extraordinary lengths to build support for the causes she cares about,” Obama said at the ceremony.
The family suffered other tragedies over the years, including the deaths of two of their children: David, who died of a drug overdose in 1984, and Michael, killed in a skiing accident in 1997. In 1999, the His daughter Rory’s marriage was marred by tragedy when his nephew, John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn, died in a plane crash on the way to the Cape Cod wedding.
Ethel Kennedy is survived by nine of her children and a large extended family, many of whom are also involved in public life. His eldest son, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.ran for president in 2024, but dropped out in August to support former President Donald Trump.
