Ethel Kennedy

American news figure, human rights advocate and the wife of senator Robert F. Kennedy, a.k.a. RFK. She was her family's beacon of faith, whose life work had been her children. A wonderful sense of humour sustained her and she liked to tease and be teased. Ethel did not forgive easily and people said, "She is more Kennedy than the Kennedys." Ethel and Bobby Kennedy were married on 17 June 1950 and moved to Hickory Hill Estate in McLean, Virginia. They had 11 children, the youngest born after Bobby's assassination on 5 June 1968.

Born into a large Catholic family with more money than the Kennedys, she spent her childhood in Greenwich, Connecticut. She loved her parents who were both alcoholics. Ethel and her siblings grew up wild and she developed the habit of lashing out at anyone that was critical of her family and remained fierce when provoked. Both of her parents and her brother were killed in separate plane crashes. Riding horses was one of her favourite sports along with swimming, golf and tennis.

During her freshman year, 1945-1946, at Manhattanville College for women in New York she was formally introduced to Robert Kennedy by her classmate, his sister Jean. Bobby had dated Ethel's older sister Pat. Being a staunch Catholic, she was a virgin when they met. Bobby adored her as he was more thoughtful and much less outgoing, admiring her outrageous vivacity.

RFK was the disciplinarian and after his death the kids ran wild. They were all competitive and active, the only quiet times were at dinner when everyone got together and talked. She took her widowhood very seriously and never remarried because no other man could be as good as Bobby. Through all of the problems over the years she was the glue that held the family together in every crisis. She wouldn't allow herself to cry in public as she was very stoic. Her children saw her as a 'doer' who was filled with love, supported causes and made people feel special.