Current:Home > ContactMembers of the Kennedy family gather for funeral of Ethel Kennedy -ProfitPioneers Hub
Members of the Kennedy family gather for funeral of Ethel Kennedy
View
Date:2025-04-16 17:41:52
CENTERVILLE, Mass. (AP) — Members of the Kennedy family gathered Monday for the funeral of Ethel Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Ethel Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after her husband was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy, died on Thursday at age 96.
Monday’s funeral, which was closed to the public, took place at Our Lady of Victory, in Centerville, Massachusetts, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of Boston.
Mourners gathered at the church under a cool gray sky. Ethel Kennedy died following complications related to a stroke suffered earlier this month.
“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement said in announcing her death.
President Joe Biden called her “an American icon — a matriarch of optimism and moral courage, an emblem of resilience and service.”
The Kennedy matriarch, mother to Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory, was one of the last remaining members of a family generation that included President John F. Kennedy. Her family said she had recently enjoyed seeing many of her relatives before falling ill.
A millionaire’s daughter who married the future senator and attorney general in 1950, Ethel Kennedy had endured more death by the age of 40, for the whole world to see, than most people would in a lifetime.
She was by Robert F. Kennedy’s side when he was fatally shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, just after winning California’s Democratic presidential primary. Her brother-in-law had been assassinated in Dallas less than five years earlier.
Ethel Kennedy went on to found the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights soon after her husband’s death and advocated for causes including gun control and human rights. She rarely spoke about her husband’s assassination.
veryGood! (1344)
Related
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Expect Bears to mirror ups and downs of rookie Caleb Williams – and expect that to be fun
- Watch: Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey nails 66-yard field goal
- Watch Taylor Swift perform 'London Boy' Oy! in Wembley Stadium
- Sam Taylor
- John Aprea, The Godfather Part II Star, Dead at 83
- What the VP picks says about what Harris and Trump want for America's kids
- Harris reveals good-vibes economic polices. Experts weigh in.
- The seven biggest college football quarterback competitions include Michigan, Ohio State
- Bronze statue of John Lewis replaces more than 100-year-old Confederate monument
Ranking
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Woman arrested, charged in Elvis Presley Graceland foreclosure scheme
- As political convention comes to Chicago, residents, leaders and activists vie for the spotlight
- What to know about 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and championship race
- Jamaica's Kishane Thompson more motivated after thrilling 100m finish against Noah Lyles
- When is deadly force justified? Recent police killings raise questions
- When is deadly force justified? Recent police killings raise questions
- Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo finds out he's allergic to his batting gloves
Recommendation
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
Springtime Rain Crucial for Getting Wintertime Snowmelt to the Colorado River, Study Finds
The Daily Money: Does a Disney+ subscription mean you can't sue Disney?
Harris' economic plan promises voters affordable groceries and homes. Don't fall for it.
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
'AGT' comedian Perry Kurtz dead at 73 after alleged hit-and-run
Russian artist released in swap builds a new life in Germany, now free to marry her partner
Sara Foster Says She’s Cutting People Out Amid Tommy Haas Breakup Rumors