Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the late Democratic senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, died Thursday from complications related to a recent stroke. She was 96.
She was the matriarch of one of the largest American political families in U.S. history, which had a major foothold in Palm Beach history and society.
Mrs. Kennedy’s children and grandchildren confirmed her passing on social media, sharing a statement from the family that noted her “lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights.” The family did not say where Mrs. Kennedy died.
Survivors include her nine children, 34 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
“She was a devout Catholic and a daily communicant, and 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,” the family said in its statement.