• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

JFK's Sister, Humanitarian Eunice Kennedy Shriver Died

October 11, 2009 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of John F. Kennedy, died Tuesday at the age of 88 in Hyannis, Massachusettes.  Shriver was born in Brookline, Massachusettes July 10, 1921 and was the 5th of 9 children.  Her siblings include political figures John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy.  Shriver continued her family’s legacy by founding the Special Olympics in her own backyard in 1962.

In a statement released Tuesday, Shriver’s family said, “She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others.  For each of us, she often seemed to stop time itself — to run another Special Olympics Games, to visit us in our homes, to attend to her own mother, her sisters and brothers, and to sail, tell stories, and laugh and serve her friends.”

Born into American royalty, Shriver used her status to be a champion for those in difficult circumstances.  She recieved a degree in sociology from Stanford University in 1944.  She worked for the Department of Justice as the executive secretary for the National Conference on Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency.  Shriver was also a social worker in a West Virginia women’s prison and a Chicago juvenile court.  She established the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring at the University of Utah.

In 1953 Shriver married World War II veteran Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., and together they had 5 children.  Her second child, Maria Shriver, is the wife of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Eunice and Robert have 19 grandchildren, second only to her late brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Over the years, Shriver received many awards and recongnitions for her social outreach initiatives.  She was given the Civitan International World Citizenship Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award, and received honorary degrees from several universities.

A source close to the family said that funeral arrangements have yet to be made.  Shriver is survived by her husband, daughter, and sons Robert Sargent Shriver III, Timothy Perry Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver and Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Mommywood

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

How to Save Your Kid from Drowning

The lifeguard moving quickly past Lindsey’s chair seemed to … [Read More...] about How to Save Your Kid from Drowning

Must Have

ToniBox

Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

If you are looking for something to occupy your children … [Read More...] about Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

Did you know?

Early Signs of Pregnancy While on Birth Control

Early Signs of Pregnancy While on Birth Control

back pain during first trimester pregnancy

Back Pain During First Trimester Pregnancy

women get pregnant if she Is not ovulating

Can a Women Get Pregnant if She Is Not Ovulating?

How to Take Wrinkles Out of Polyester With Steam

Signs of PMS or Pregnancy

how much weight should a baby gain

How Much Weight Should a Baby Gain?

Clean the Smell From the Inside of a Leather Jacket

How to Clean the Smell From the Inside of a Leather Jacket

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.