Ethel Kennedy, widow of RFK, hospitalized after stroke

Ethel Kennedy, widow of former U.S. attorney general and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, suffered a stroke last week, according to her family.

In statements posted on social media Tuesday evening, the Kennedy family said the 96-year-old family matriarch had a stroke in her sleep Thursday morning and was taken to a hospital. The family — which owns a large property in Hyannis on Cape Cod known as the Kennedy Compound — did not disclose where she had the stroke or the specific hospital

“She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible, and she is surrounded by family,” said the statement, which was shared by several family members, including Kennedy’s daughter Kerry Kennedy and grandson Joe Kennedy III, a former Massachusetts congressman.

“She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life,” the statement said. “We are looking after her. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We ask that you respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

The statement said that Ethel Kennedy had a “great summer and transition into fall” spending time with her children, grandchildren and extended family.

“She was able to get out on the water, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with family.”

Ethel married Robert F. Kennedy in 1950. They had 11 children together, 2 of whom have died. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated June 6, 1968, after winning the California Democratic primary in the race for president.

Ethel founded an organization in her husband’s name focused on human rights causes. The nonprofit gives annual awards to journalists, authors and others who have made a significant contribution to human rights. She also was active in the Coalition of Gun Control, Special Olympics and the Earth Conservation Corps.

For a generation of Americans, the Democratic Party clan represented the closest thing the U.S. had to the royalty it has always admired elsewhere. The JFK era was dubbed “Camelot” because the youthful president and his glamorous wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, evoked a sense of national optimism, expressed in a line from the Broadway musical.

With additional reporting from Michael Casey of The Associated Press. 

This article was originally published on October 09, 2024.