The memorial service was held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on Oct. 16
Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and a prominent figure in American history, lived a life marked by immense personal tragedy, resilience, and public service. Born on April 11, 1928, as Ethel Skakel in Chicago, Illinois, she was raised in a wealthy and socially connected family. She became a central figure in one of the most famous and powerful political dynasties in the United States—the Kennedy family—through her marriage to Robert Kennedy, the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy.
Ethel’s life was filled with triumphs and accomplishments, but it was also deeply troubled by personal struggles, loss, and controversy. While she was often portrayed as the matriarch of a large, loving family, her life was not without complexities and challenges. Her story is one of a woman who faced both privilege and profound pain in the public eye.
Early Life and Marriage to Robert Kennedy
Ethel grew up in a devoutly Catholic family, the daughter of George and Ann Skakel. Her father was a self-made millionaire in the coal industry, and the Skakels were known for their wealth, strong religious beliefs, and their troubled history, which would follow them in the years to come. Ethel was the sixth of seven children, and like the Kennedys, the Skakels were often in the spotlight for both their successes and scandals.
Ethel attended the prestigious Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart, where she first met Jean Kennedy, Robert Kennedy’s younger sister, during a ski trip. Through Jean, Ethel met Robert, and the two quickly fell in love. Ethel was captivated by Robert’s dedication to public service and his drive for justice, much like his older brother, John. The couple married on June 17, 1950, in a grand ceremony attended by many political elites of the time.
Ethel and Robert had 11 children, which made them one of the largest and most prominent families in American politics. The family lived an idyllic and glamorous life, often compared to American royalty, with homes in Hickory Hill, Virginia, and Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Ethel embraced her role as the wife of a political figure, hosting parties, dinners, and campaigns with ease and charm. However, behind this perfect façade, there were mounting tensions and troubles that would soon come to a head.
The Assassination of Robert Kennedy and its Aftermath
Ethel’s life was dramatically and tragically altered on June 5, 1968, when Robert Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for the presidency. He was shot by Sirhan Sirhan in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Ethel, who was pregnant with their eleventh child at the time, was by his side when he was fatally wounded. The assassination of Robert Kennedy came less than five years after the assassination of his older brother, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963, and it plunged Ethel and the entire Kennedy family into a deep well of grief and trauma.
In the years following Robert’s assassination, Ethel’s life became increasingly challenging. Now a widow with 11 children to raise, she took on the responsibility of being the Kennedy family’s matriarch. She was known for her strong Catholic faith, her dedication to her children, and her desire to keep Robert’s memory alive through her involvement in political and social causes. She established the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in 1968, an organization that would continue her husband’s legacy of advocacy for social justice and human rights.
Despite her public displays of resilience, Ethel struggled deeply with the weight of her personal losses. Her mental health and well-being suffered as she tried to navigate life without her husband, raising her large family, and coping with the immense public scrutiny that came with being part of the Kennedy clan. She was often described as erratic and difficult to deal with, and her relationship with her children became strained over the years.
Family Tragedies and Scandals
The Kennedy family is often referred to as “cursed” due to the numerous tragedies and scandals that have befallen them over the years, and Ethel was not immune to this so-called curse. She witnessed the loss of several of her children and other family members in tragic accidents and scandals.
In 1984, Ethel’s son, David Kennedy, died of a drug overdose at the age of 28. David had struggled with substance abuse for years, a battle that many believed was exacerbated by his father’s death. Ethel, who had reportedly been distant and emotionally unavailable during David’s struggles, was devastated by his loss but largely continued her life in the public eye.
In 1997, another son, Michael Kennedy, died in a skiing accident at the age of 39. Michael had also been embroiled in a scandal involving an alleged affair with his family’s teenage babysitter, and his death only added to the growing list of tragedies that plagued Ethel and her children.
Ethel’s relationship with her children was complicated. While she was admired for raising such a large family under difficult circumstances, there were reports of her being distant, emotionally cold, and difficult to communicate with. Several of her children struggled with drug addiction, legal troubles, and personal scandals. Some believed that Ethel’s inability to fully cope with her husband’s death led her to be absent from her children’s emotional lives, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Public Service and Philanthropy
Despite the personal difficulties she faced, Ethel remained committed to public service and social causes. She continued to support the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and she was actively involved in various philanthropic efforts, particularly those focused on civil rights, social justice, and the environment.
Ethel was also known for her unwavering loyalty to the Kennedy family’s political legacy. She supported her brother-in-law, Senator Ted Kennedy, in his political endeavors, as well as the political careers of her children, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joseph P. Kennedy II.
Ethel Kennedy’s Death and Funeral
Ethel Kennedy died at the age of 95, marking the end of an era for the Kennedy family. Her funeral, held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, was attended by family, friends, and political figures from across the country. It was a solemn occasion that reflected on both her public contributions and the personal pain that had defined much of her life.
While many spoke of Ethel’s strength, resilience, and devotion to public service, there was also an acknowledgment of the challenges she faced as a widow and mother. She was remembered as a woman who had endured more than her fair share of heartbreak and tragedy but who had continued to persevere in the name of her husband’s legacy.
In her later years, Ethel had become a quieter figure in the Kennedy family, overshadowed by the new generation of Kennedys who were making their own way in the world. But at her funeral, the focus was squarely on her and the complex life she had lived—a life filled with both privilege and profound sorrow.
The Legacy of Ethel Kennedy
Ethel Kennedy’s life was one of great contrasts. She was a woman who was born into wealth and privilege, who married into one of the most powerful political families in American history, but who also endured unimaginable personal tragedies. Her life was marked by the assassinations of her husband and brother-in-law, the loss of several children, and the pressures of being part of the Kennedy family.
Though she struggled with personal demons, Ethel’s public legacy as a champion of social justice and human rights remains intact. She was a woman who, despite her flaws and failings, remained committed to the causes that her husband cared about, and she worked to ensure that the Kennedy family’s political legacy would endure for future generations.
Ethel Kennedy’s story is a testament to the complexities of life in the public eye, where the line between personal pain and public duty is often blurred.
