Ethel Kennedy, a human rights advocate and the widow of Robert F Kennedy, has died aged 96, her family says.
A matriarch of one of America’s most famous political dynasties, she died on Wednesday after suffering a stroke a week ago, the family member said.
Her grandson, Joe Kennedy, posted a statement online to announce the passing of “our amazing grandmother”.
She was by her husband Robert F Kennedy’s side when the Democratic presidential candidate was fatally shot in a Los Angeles hotel kitchen in 1968. Five years earlier, her brother-in-law, President John F Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
A statement posted on social media by the Kennedy family said: “It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy.
“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly.”
It described her as a “devout Catholic”, adding: “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.
“Please keep her in your hearts and prayers.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden called Ms Kennedy “a matriarch of optimism and moral courage” and “an emblem of resilience and service”.
“Devoted to family and country, she had a spine of steel and a heart of gold that inspired millions of Americans, including me and Jill. We were blessed to call her a dear friend.”
Ms Kennedy was born in 1928 in Chicago, but grew up in Connecticut, where she met her future husband at just 17. They married in 1950.
The couple was involved early in the Kennedy family’s political efforts, helping to campaign for John F Kennedy’s presidential run in 1960 before Robert Kennedy launched his own political career.
Her husband’s time in the spotlight was bright but short – he was shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan in Los Angeles as he campaigned for the 1968 Democratic nomination for president.
Ms Kennedy founded the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights foundation months after her late-husband’s assassination, while still pregnant with their 11th child.
It was not the only tragedy she would face in a family famous for it. Besides the loss of her husband and brother-in-law, two of her sons died: David in 1984 and Michael in 1997.
She is survived by nine of her children, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who ran an independent campaign for the White House this year before suspending the effort.
The foundation she launched is dedicated to advancing human rights through litigation and continues its work.
Following her death, the foundation wrote of its founder: “After founding Robert F Kennedy Human Rights months after her husband’s death in 1968, Ethel Kennedy became a political force in her own right, personally tackling human rights issues both at home and abroad.”
It described her as a “champion for justice, standing with human rights defenders around the globe”.
The foundation said she “lived a tremendously impactful life”, adding, “May she rest in eternal peace.”
