Eunice Kennedy Shriver died today at 88

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Een bijzondere vrouw is vandaag overleden.

Groet / Cees

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-08-11/remembering-eunice-kennedy/
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the fifth of nine children of a legendary family,
died today at 88.

Eunice grew up the fifth child of nine in a famous family. She played
quarterback in football games with her brothers and always loved sports,
which would later lead her to found the Special Olympics in 1968, right
after the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

The Special Olympics began with 1,000 people and now encompasses 2.25
million athletes and their families in more than 150 countries aided by
500,000 volunteers and coaches—the world’s largest sports program. Shriver
stepped down as its head in 1990.

Kennedy's relationship with her older sister, Rosemary, who suffered from
mild retardation and later had a lobotomy, gave her firsthand experience
with people with special needs. “Certainly, if you have a sister who
learns slowly, you are obviously aware of certain things—insights that you
wouldn't have if you never had a sister who is slow to learn,” she told
The Washington Post in 1987. “But, would I have gone into this for her,
and do I run around for her? No."
Shriver worked as a social worker after graduating from Stanford and
before taking over a family charity, the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation,
in 1957, which was devoted to issues of mental retardation.

Shriver’s husband, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., was the Peace Corps
director and George McGovern’s running mate. He also served as U.S.
ambassador to France. Their daughter Maria is married to California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and played a key role in getting him
elected.

Shriver was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984 by President
Ronald Reagan. "With enormous conviction and unrelenting effort," Reagan
said, "Eunice Kennedy Shriver has labored on behalf of America's least
powerful people
her decency and goodness have touched the lives of many."

Shriver, much unlike her father, lived "almost ascetically," according to
Edward Shorter's book about the Kennedy family. Two of her children,
Anthony and Bobby, thought their family was poor when they were younger
because of the household's austerity.

Eunice and her little brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, could be seen driving
a golf cart around together in Hyannis Port on days when the senator was
feeling strong enough this past year. They toasted her 88th birthday
together.

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