Icon of Social Justice and Kennedy Matriarch, Passes Away at 96

Clear Facts

• Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy and human rights advocate, passed away at the age of 96 due to complications from a stroke.
• Her grandson, Joe Kennedy III, announced her death, highlighting her legacy in social justice and her large family.
• Throughout her life, Ethel Kennedy faced significant personal tragedies, including the assassinations of her husband and brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy.

Ethel Kennedy, a prominent figure in human rights advocacy and widow of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, has passed away at the age of 96. Her death follows a stroke she suffered last week, leading to her hospitalization.

The news of her passing was shared by her grandson, Joe Kennedy III, on social media.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy,” he stated. “She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week.”

Ethel Kennedy was not only a devoted advocate for social justice but also the matriarch of a large family. She leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, in addition to numerous nieces and nephews who cherished her deeply.

“She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant,” Joe Kennedy III added, expressing comfort in the belief that she is now reunited with her late husband, Robert F. Kennedy, and other family members who have passed.

Born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928, in Chicago, her life was marked by a series of personal tragedies. Her parents, George and Ann Skakel, died in a plane crash in 1955. She later endured the assassination of her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968, just after he secured a victory in the California Democratic presidential primary.

Ethel Kennedy was also present during the national heartbreak following the assassination of her brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, in Dallas less than five years earlier.

In more recent years, she mourned the loss of her granddaughter, Saoirse Kennedy Hill, who died in 2019 from an apparent drug overdose.

“One wonders how much this family must be expected to absorb,” remarked family friend Philip Johnson, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation, following the death of her son Michael Kennedy.

Ethel Kennedy, whose children include Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., and several others, was among the last of her generation in the Kennedy family. Despite the tragedies she faced, her family shared that she had recently enjoyed time with many of her relatives before her health declined.

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