Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F Kennedy, has died, family confirms

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the late U.S. Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, passed away this morning, October 10, her family has confirmed. She was 96 years old.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy,” Ethel’s children said in a statement Thursday morning.

“She died this morning as a result of a stroke she suffered last week.

“In addition to a lifetime of work in social justice and human rights, our mother is survived by nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly.

“She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and we are comforted knowing that she has been 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 our mother in your hearts and prayers.”

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

The announcement of Ethel’s death comes just two days after her family confirmed she had suffered a stroke in her sleep last week.

On October 8, Joseph Kennedy III, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland and Ethel’s grandson, announced that Ethel had been taken to an area hospital after suffering a stroke in her sleep.

“She feels comfortable, receives the best possible care and is surrounded by family,” he said on social media on Tuesday.

“She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has had a remarkably fulfilling leadership
to live. We’ll take care of her here.”

Joseph asked that Ethel be kept in people’s thoughts and prayers, while also asking for privacy for the family.

I’m sharing news about one of my heroes. pic.twitter.com/kcSqSNfabC

— Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) October 8, 2024

Ethel Kennedy was born Ethel Skakel on April 11, 1928 in Chicago. Her parents were George Skakel, a businessman of Protestant Dutch descent, and Ann Brannack, a secretary of Irish Catholic descent. Ethel was their sixth child out of seven. George and Ann would meet a tragic end, dying in a private plane crash in Oklahoma in 1955.

Ethel and her siblings grew up primarily in Connecticut. During her studies, Ethel attended Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in New York, where she befriended a classmate – Jean Kennedy Smith – who would change the course of her life.

Jean, who died in 2020, and Ethel became close friends in Manhattanville, and Ethel soon joined her on family vacations. It was during one such trip to Mont Tremblant, Quebec in December 1945 that she first met Robert F. Kennedy.

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Ethel Skakel with John F. Kennedy and Jean Kennedy. (Getty Images)

In 1946, before she and Bobby were married, Ethel campaigned for John F. Kennedy during his congressional campaign. She later helped her husband with his brother’s campaign for president.

Although Robert first dated Ethel’s older sister Patricia, Ethel and Robert began dating after their relationship ended. They dated for five years, became engaged in February 1950 and married on June 17, 1950 in Connecticut.

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Ethel and Robert F Kennedy on their wedding day. (John F. Kennedy Library Foundation)

The eleven children and years of birth of RFK and Ethel are Kathleen, 1951; Joseph II, 1952; Robert Jr., 1954; David, June 15, 1955 – April 25, 1984; Courtney, 1956; Michael, February 27, 1958 – December 31, 1997; Mary, 1959; Christopher, 1963; Matthew, 1965; Douglas, 1967; Rory, 1968.

Ethel knew firsthand the dangers of life and still supported RFK’s desire to participate in the presidential campaign. According to RFK’s biographer Evan Thomas, she was her husband’s “most consistent advocate of a race for the White House” and supported him on the campaign trail.

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Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy on March 6, 1966. (Getty Images)

Immediately after giving his victory speech for winning the Democratic primaries in California and South Dakota, Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. He died the next day.

After this, Ethel and her sister-in-law Jackie shared a horrifically tragic bond: both of their husbands – brothers – had been murdered. On June 6, Jackie Ethel wrote the following letter of condolence:

“My Ethel –

No one in the world could ever have been what you were yesterday – except maybe Bobby –

We’re going home now. Your phone was busy

You don’t want any more callers, you must be so tired – I stayed up until 6:30 last night just thinking – and praying for you – and for you in the months to come –

I love you so much –

You know that everything – Stas takes little Bobby to Africa – I take them around the world + to the moon + back – everything to help you + them, now and always –

With my deepest love

Jackie”

Adding to the senseless tragedy, Ethel was pregnant with Rory, her youngest child with RFK, at the time of his death. Rory was born on December 12, 1968, just under six months after the father was murdered.

Ethel publicly stated that she still considered herself married to Bobby and would not marry again, but would instead dedicate herself to furthering his work and legacy.

In the fall of 1968, Ethel and other members of the Kennedy family launched the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial as a living memorial that would continue his work to bring change and action to areas struggling with poverty, crime and human rights abuses.

Ethel said at the time: “He wanted to encourage the young and help the disadvantaged and discriminated against, both here and abroad, and he wanted to promote peace in the world. These will be the objectives of the commemoration.”

The monument grew into the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which continues that work today.

In 2012, Rory Kennedy made a documentary about her mother. The documentary, simply titled ‘Ethel’, focused on five days of intimate, emotional interviews with Ethel and her children, and footage from their parents’ past and their childhood. It debuted at Sundance and premiered on HBO.

In 2014, Ethel was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Obama for her dedication to “advancing the cause of social justice, human rights, environmental protection, and poverty alleviation by creating countless pockets of hope to create change around the world.” “

In 2018, 90-year-old Ethel made headlines when she joined 50 other members of the Kennedy family on a 24-hour fast to protest Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

In September 2021, Ethel said in a statement that her husband’s killer, Sirhan Sirhan, should not be granted parole while the case was under review by California Parole Board staff. Governor Gavin Newsom ultimately denied Sirhan’s parole.

In April, Joseph Kennedy III shared this photo from the Kennedy family gathering to celebrate the 96th birthday of the world’s most amazing Gramma’ Ethel.

Happy 96th to the world’s most amazing Gramma!! 🎂 pic.twitter.com/6tqe1WT7Hb

— Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) April 11, 2024