Ethel Kennedy Honored by 3 Presidents and Major Stars at D.C. Memorial Service: 'A Big Dose in a Small Package'
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10/16/2024 04:11 PM
The mother of 11 and founder of RFK Human Rights died at age 96 on Oct. 10
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Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at Ethel Kennedy's memorial service on Oct. 16, 2024Ethel Kennedy is being remembered by those who loved her most.
Ethel, the widow of late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, died at age 96 on Oct. 10 from complications related to a stroke. After her husband's assassination in 1968, she dedicated herself to raising their 11 children and devoted her life to public service and human rights.
"Along with a lifetime's work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly," the family statement said in announcing her death.
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Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, who died at age 96 on Oct. 10, 2024Related: Ethel Kennedy's Life in Photos — from Young Widow to Human Rights Activist
To honor her life and legacy, powerful friends and numerous Kennedy family members attended "A Celebration of Life for Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy" at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 16. A private funeral was held for the matriarch two days earlier.
The service was closed to the public but available to livestream.
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Ethel Kennedy's casket rests at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 2024Among the many distinguished guests at Ethel's celebration of life were three United States presidents: Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
"Her life was marked by more tragedy and heartbreak than most of us could bear," Obama said during his eulogy. "And she would have been forgiven, I think, if at any point she had stepped away from public life or allowed bitterness to fester after all she and her family had been through. But that's not what Ethel did because that's not who she was."
Obama called Ethel "a big dose in a small package," contrasting her "spitfire" personality to RFK's more "shy and serious" demeanor.
"I thought your mother was the cat's meow. She would flirt with me in the most innocent ways," Clinton playfully told Ethel's children. "She was an amazing fireball of continuous energy. It was wonderful to be around her."
Biden, whose eulogy closed out the service, said that Ethel was there for him at the very start of his career, when his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident after he had just been elected to the Senate.
"Along with Teddy [Kennedy], she got me through a time I didn't want to stick around. I wanted no part of being in the Congress or the Senate, I mean it," Biden said, reflecting on the difficulty he faced in launching his political career in a time of grief. "But Teddy and Ethel wanted to hear none of it. You know the fact is, like she did for the country, Ethel helped my family find a way forward with principle and purpose."
And throughout his time in public service, Biden said, she always remained a friend.
"There was nothing, from my perspective — and I suspect most of you — that she couldn't do," he said. "Nothing."
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Rory Kennedy, Ethel's youngest child, hugs President Barack Obama at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in WashingtonOther political power players appeared at the service as well, like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Secretary of State John Kerry and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the latter of whom called Ethel a "national treasure" on stage.
Martin Luther King III, son of MLK Jr., spoke about his family's ties to the Kennedys.
"I remember when Mrs. Kennedy came to our home with Sen. Kennedy in 1968 after my father was assassinated. That was the first time I remember meeting Mrs. Kennedy," King, 66, said. "And just two months later, my mom went to the Kennedy home to express her condolences after the assassination of Sen. Robert Kennedy."
He continued: "Like millions of Americans I was deeply moved and profoundly impressed by the remarkable courage and dignity Mrs. Kennedy displayed in the days after her beloved husband Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated."
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Martin Luther King III at the memorial service for Ethel Kennedy on Oct. 16, 2024Singers Kenny Chesney, Sting and Stevie Wonder were among the musical talent invited to perform, and in a memorable moment from the service, Ethel's many grandchildren piled onto the stage and took turns offering up prayers in honor of their grandmother.
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A handful of Ethel's children — who called her "Mummy" — also played prominent roles in the service, including Kathleen, Kerry, Max and Rory.
"Mummy was all I had, but she was more than I could have ever hoped for," said Rory, who was born after RFK's assassination. "She was my staunchest advocate."
"We have been lucky, Mummy, because we have lived so long with you, who had been in love all of those years with Daddy," Kathleen, the oldest daughter of Ethel and Bobby, said. "We expect you will have heaven much better decorated before the holidays, and we're comforted that you will always find a place for us at that table."
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