Joan Bennett Kennedy
Joan Bennett Kennedy | |
---|---|
Manhattanville College Lesley University | |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | |
Children | |
Relatives | Kennedy family |
Virginia Joan Kennedy (
Early life
Virginia Joan Bennett was born at
Marriage, family and divorce
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In October 1957, at the dedication of a gymnasium at Manhattanville College in memory of another Kennedy sister,
Two of their children were cancer victims. Ted Jr. developed
Ted suffered a severe back injury in a 1964 airplane crash while campaigning for his first full Senate term. Joan assumed the full campaign-appearance schedule for his successful
In July 1969, Ted Kennedy was involved in a car accident at a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts that resulted in the death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne.[7] Although pregnant and confined to bed in the wake of two previous miscarriages, Joan attended Kopechne's funeral. Three days later, she stood beside her husband in a local court when he pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. She suffered a third miscarriage shortly thereafter.[8]
The couple separated in 1978 after twenty years of marriage.
Later life
In 1992, she published the book The Joy of Classical Music: A Guide for You and Your Family. Kennedy has worked with children's charities, remains an accomplished pianist and has taught classical music to children.[12]
Kennedy's later years have been shaped by chronic alcoholism, which developed during her marriage. The alcohol problem escalated with sporadic, uneven sobriety, repeated drunk-driving arrests,[2] court-ordered rehabilitation,[2] and a return to drinking. This ultimately led to kidney damage, with the possibility of dialysis[3] and protracted complications. In July 2004, her son, Ted Jr., was appointed her legal guardian; in 2005, her children were granted temporary guardianship. That year she was hospitalized with a concussion and a broken shoulder after being found lying in a Boston street near her home.[2][13][14] In 2005, she requested that her second cousin, financial planner Webster E. Janssen of Connecticut, establish a trust to control her estate. This was in violation of her sons' guardianship.citation needed Her children later took successful legal action against Janssen, removing him as trustee and later filing a complaint against him with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.[15] That October, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery.[16] She agreed to strict court-ordered guardianship and her estate has since been placed in a new trust overseen by two court-appointed trustees.[3]
Apart from a brief relationship shortly after her divorce, she has neither remarried nor pursued another relationship.
See also
Bibliography
- Kennedy, Joan Bennett (1992). The Joy of Classical Music: A Guide for You and Your Family. ISBN 978-0-385-41262-9.
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-446-56463-2.
- ^ a b c d e Lindsay, Jay (April 2, 2005). "Joan Kennedy's troubles linked to alcohol struggle". The Associated Press via Deseret News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- ^ Boston. Archived from the originalon May 21, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ Clymer, A Biography, pp. 23–24.
- PBS. Archived from the originalon March 13, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- ^ Jacobs, Sally (May 25, 2008). "Kennedy, his children, and cancer". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- ISBN 1-57566-106-3.
- ISBN 0-446-52426-3.
- ^ Staff writer (November 5, 1979). "The Vulnerable Soul of Joansie". Time. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-312-09134-7.
- ISBN 0-465-04317-8.
- The Biography Channel. Archived from the originalon July 30, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ Hancock, David (March 30, 2005). "Joan Kennedy Unconscious in Street – Senator's Ex-Wife Recovering from Concussion, Broken Shoulder". The Associated Press via CBS News. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ Johnson, Glenn (February 25, 2005). "Kennedy's Children Become Her Guardians". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- ^ Ellement, John; Sacchetti, Maria (June 13, 2005). "Joan Kennedy, Children Reach Agreement – Medical, Financial Team, Rehab Cited". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ^ Staff writer (October 15, 2005). "Rep. Kennedy Gets 'Personal' on Cancer – With Mother Ill, He Lauds Advocates". The Associated Press via The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ Report by Susan Donaldson James for Good Morning America, ABC News, 28 August 2009
Further reading
- Chellis, Marcia (1985). Living with the Kennedys: The Joan Kennedy Story. ISBN 978-0-8161-4058-9.
External links
- Joan Bennett Kennedy at IMDb