Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy and the tenacious upholder of the family’s legacy, died on Thursday. She was 96.
Kennedy’s death was announced on social media via a statement shared by several members of her family, including her daughter Kerry and her grandson Joe. The statement said that Kennedy died due to complications from a stroke she suffered last week.
“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 read.
Kennedy was the mother to 11 children, including former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Following her husband’s assassination in 1968, Kennedy devoted her life to maintaining his legacy. She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a nonprofit that works to hold governments accountable and foster a more peaceful world.
Ethel Kennedy maintained a residence at the famous Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Most recently, her granddaughter, Mariah Kennedy Cuomo, was married on the property this past summer. “[Ethel] insisted we marry on her front lawn. We were thrilled to say yes,” Cuomo told Vogue.
Since Kennedy’s passing this morning, there has been an outpouring of support from family members and friends.