Noted human rights advocate Ethel Kennedy, widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and mother of former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., died on Thursday at the age of 96. The Kennedy matriarch, a mother of 11 and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, had been hospitalized since October 3 after suffering a stroke in her sleep.
“It is with heavy hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy,” daughter Kerry Kennedy said in a family announcement shared to X. “She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week.”
It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/bdIQFsC0CS
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) October 10, 2024
“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the statement continued. “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. Please keep her in your hearts and prayers.”
Variations of the same statement were shared by other members of the Kennedy family, including grandson and former Massachusetts Senator Joe Kennedy III.
It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy. She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. Along with a lifetime's work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind…
— Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) October 10, 2024
Actress Cheryl Hines, wife of RFK Jr., shared a photo tribute to her mother-in-law, writing: “It has been my great honor to have shared laughter and love with Ethel. Her charisma, wisdom and strength will live on with me in every memory of her. Bobby and I spent many warm nights in Hyannis Port having dinner with her and hearing stories from her extraordinary life. She always made me laugh. She was never too serious except when she needed to be. She dressed to nines with bare feet. She will be missed. My love is with the family.”
My mother in law, Ethel Kennedy, Bobby's mother, passed this morning. It has been my great honor to have shared laughter and love with Ethel. Her charisma, wisdom and strength will live on with me in every memory of her. Bobby and I spent many warm nights in Hyannis Port having… pic.twitter.com/j7faAcU1Bm
— Cheryl Hines (@CherylHines) October 10, 2024
“She was fearless, funny, smart, incredible athlete, patriot, madly in love with my Uncle Bobby, and devoted to making our country better in every way,” wrote niece Maria Shriver. “She was a woman of deep faith. When it got tough, and there were a lot of tough times, she dug in. She relied on her faith like my own mother. They were a pair of strong, determined women. What lives, what examples. It’s impossible to put her life in a caption. I love you, Ethel. Godspeed, and to all my cousins, I send my love to you on this day and on all days.”
My aunt, Ethel Kennedy passed this morning. What a life she led. What a huge family she created and leaves behind. I’m so glad I was able to laugh with her this summer, to share memories with her. She was a devoted sister-in-law to my mother, a one of a kind aunt to me and my… pic.twitter.com/u5ruoc4vye
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) October 10, 2024
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Born into a wealthy family in 1928, Ethel Kennedy (nee Skakel) lived a life defined by both tragedy and determination.
In 1950, she married Robert F. Kennedy Sr. at the dawn of his political career. RFK Sr. went on to manage his brother John F. Kennedy’s 1952 campaign for US Senate and 1960 campaign for the presidency, then became US attorney general during his brother’s administration. Ethel contributed to both campaigns as well, hosting tea parties for potential voters during the former and embarking on international goodwill trips as an informal stand-in for the first lady during the latter.
During this time, Ethel and Robert had 11 children: Kathleen, Joseph, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Maxwell, Douglas, and Rory.
In 1955, her parents were killed in a plane crash, and her brother died in a 1966 car accident.
In 1968, less than five years after JFK’s assassination, Ethel was at her husband’s side when he was fatally shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, just after winning the California Democratic presidential primary.
Ethel also lost two sons during her lifetime: David to a 1984 drug overdose and Michael to a 1997 skiing accident.
Soon after her husband’s death, Ethel founded the nonprofit Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, where she campaigned for a variety of social justice causes, including gun control and human rights.
Former President Barack Obama, who received her endorsement in 2008, awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. Upon learning of her passing, Obama described her as “a dear friend with a passion for justice, an irrepressible spirit, and a great sense of humor.”
Ethel Kennedy was a dear friend with a passion for justice, an irrepressible spirit, and a great sense of humor. She touched the lives of countless people around the world with her generosity and grace, and was an emblem of enduring faith and hope, even in the face of… pic.twitter.com/lTukrEl9hI
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 10, 2024
In a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden called her “an American icon—a matriarch of optimism and moral courage, an emblem of resilience and service” and sent his condolences to the Kennedy family.
Ethel Kennedy is survived by the next generations of the vast Kennedy dynasty, which includes several notable political figures. Per the Associated Press, “daughter Kathleen became lieutenant governor of Maryland; Joseph represented Massachusetts in Congress; Courtney married Paul Hill, who had been wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing; Kerry became a human rights activist and president of the RFK center; Christopher ran for governor of Illinois; Max served as a prosecutor in Philadelphia and Douglas reported for Fox News Channel.”
She notably did not join with many of her children and relatives in condemning RFK Jr. during his third-party run for office and subsequent endorsement of former president Donald Trump.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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