Joan Bennett Kennedy, the former wife of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, has died at the age of 89.
She passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Boston on Wednesday, according to Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, speaking on the family’s behalf.
Kennedy was married to Ted Kennedy for 24 years, and was the mother to his three children — Kara, Ted Jr. and Patrick.
She was a model and classically-trained pianist when she married Ted Kennedy in 1958. Their lives would change unimaginably over the next decade and a half. Brother-in-law John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960 and assassinated three years later. Brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney general under JFK, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and assassinated while seeking the presidency.
Her husband was elected to the U.S. Senate and became among the country’s most respected legislators despite initial misgivings that he was capitalizing on his family connections. But Ted Kennedy also lived through scandals of his own making. In 1969, the car he was driving plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.
Kennedy stood by her husband through the scandal, but their estrangement was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would later divorce. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.”
She was also an advocate for mental health and addiction services, and became “one of the first prominent women in America to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression,” which she felt helped to tackle the taboo of addiction in the 1970s, her family said.
Joan Kennedy circa 1981 in New York. (Photo by Images/Gettty Images)
Kennedy is survived by two children — Ted Kennedy Jr. and former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy, along with nine grandchildren, one great-grandchild, over 30 nieces and nephews and a sister. Her daughter, Kara, died in 2011.
“I will always admire my mother for the way that she faced up to her challenges with grace, courage, humility, and honesty,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking.”
“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a powerful example to millions of people with mental health conditions,” Patrick Kennedy added. “She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched.”
John Williams, conductor laureate of the Boston Pops, also released a statement about her impact on the classical music community.
“Joan was an accomplished pianist and possessed an impressive knowledge of the classical music repertoire. Her dedication to the Boston Pops Orchestra, and especially to the young people of Boston, will have a lasting impact,” Williams said. “She will be greatly missed and will always be regarded as a member of our Boston Symphony Family.”
The schedule for calling hours and the date and time of the funeral ceremony have yet to be announced, but will be available on the website of the Carr Funeral Home at https://www.carrfuneral.com/Obituaries.html.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Marc Fortier
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