Ethel Kennedy: A Life of Tragedy, Triumph, and Service

Ethel Kennedy, known as the matriarch of the famous Kennedy family, passed away at the age of 96. Her life was filled with both tragedy and triumph. She lost her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, and brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, to assassins. Despite her grief, she devoted herself to raising her 11 children and pursuing public service. Born in Chicago, Kennedy's life was marked by tragedies even before her husband's assassination in 1968. Her parents died in a plane crash in 1955, and she met her future husband at a ski resort. They married in 1950 and had their first child a year later.Kennedy was a devout Catholic and took part in her husband's political career. After her husband's assassination, she gave birth to their last child and founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 for her efforts in social justice and human rights. Tragically, several of her children and grandchildren also died, and she faced more misfortune when her son Michael Skakel was tried for murder. In 2021, she spoke against the parole of her husband's killer.