Ethel Kennedy dies at 96
Ethel Kennedy, widow of the late Robert F. Kennedy and mother of 11 children, died Thursday of a stroke.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to social media Thursday night to pay tribute to his mother, Ethel Kennedy, who passed away at the age of 96.
“My mother, Ethel Skakel Kennedy, passed away peacefully to heaven this morning. She was 96 years old. She died in Boston, surrounded by many of her nine surviving children and friends. I adopted him,” RFK Jr. wrote to X.
His lengthy eulogy had about 100,000 likes as of Thursday night.
Ethel Kennedy had 11 children before her late husband Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. At the time of Kennedy's death, she was pregnant with her 11th child, a daughter named Rory.
Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, dies at age 96
Ethel Shekel Kennedy Hope Award Dinner and Show, New York, USA – December 13, 2017. (Stephen Ravkin/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
“God gave her the energy to care for 34 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and all their needs. God blessed her with a rich and eventful life. Despite her decline in recent months, she never lost her sense of humor, her brilliance, her courage. joy of living. “She enjoyed every moment, but for 56 years she longed for the day she would be reunited with her beloved husband,” RFK Jr.'s obituary reads.
After her husband's death, Ethel Robert F. Kennedy's Human Rights Organized in late 1968.
“She is with him now, my brothers David and Michael, her parents, her six siblings (all of whom preceded her in death), and her 'adopted' son Kennedy. siblings Jack, Kick, Joe, Teddy, Eunice, Gene, Rosemary, and Patricia,” his son's post continues. “From the day she met her father, her new family observed that she was 'more Kennedy than Kennedy.'
Ethel Kennedy, 96-year-old widow of Robert F. Kennedy, suffers stroke, family asks for prayers
Ethel Kennedy was a passionate supporter of Democratic politicians and political causes throughout her life. President Barack Obama awarded Kennedy the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
“My mother invented tough love, so she would sometimes be tough on our children when we didn't meet her expectations. But she was also fiercely loyal, and when we came under attack, she “We always knew that our mother would be fiercely protective of us,” Kennedy wrote.
Attending a ceremony announcing the next generation of fleet refueling tankers to be named USNS Robert F. Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston on September 20, 2016. Ethel Kennedy. Other dignitaries were also present. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe, Getty Images) (Getty Images)
RFK Jr. concluded his eulogy by saying, “I credit her for all of my virtues. I am grateful for her generosity in overlooking my flaws.”
RFK Jr. said his family doesn't fully approve of his recent support for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
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Ethel Kennedy suffered a stroke on October 3 and was hospitalized before her death, according to her family.
