Additional Coverage:
- Joan Kennedy, first wife of Sen. Edward Kennedy who faced triumph and tragedy, dies at 89 (irishstar.com)
Joan B. Kennedy, Former Wife of Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy, Dies at 89
Joan B. Kennedy, a prominent figure once at the heart of America’s most storied political family and former wife of Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 89.
Before her marriage into the Kennedy dynasty in 1958, Ms. Kennedy was a classically trained pianist and model.
Her life in the public eye was marked by both significant triumphs and profound personal struggles. She navigated a turbulent period that included the assassinations of her brothers-in-law, Presidents John F.
Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, as well as the fallout from her husband’s Chappaquiddick incident.
Despite her well-documented battles with alcoholism and mental illness, Joan Kennedy emerged as a courageous advocate for mental health awareness. She remained a poignant symbol of endurance within a family long shadowed by tragedy and public scrutiny.
She had three children with her husband, Senator Ted Kennedy, and also experienced miscarriages, including one shortly after the Chappaquiddick accident in 1969, where a car driven by her husband plunged off a bridge, resulting in the death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.
Ms. Kennedy stood by her husband during the immediate aftermath of the scandal.
However, their estrangement became increasingly evident by the time of his unsuccessful presidential bid against Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had separated by then and later divorced, with one notable campaign bumper sticker from the era famously reading, “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”
Her son, Patrick Kennedy, and his wife Amy released a statement honoring her legacy: “Mrs. Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, an advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, and a quiet pioneer in publicly addressing challenges with alcoholism and depression at a time when few others would.”
They added, “Her courage and candor helped break stigma and inspired others to seek help and healing. Her impact on the arts, mental health advocacy, her beloved Boston community, and the nation will be remembered by many.”