Ethel Kennedy, mother of eleven children, human rights advocate and widow of Robert F. Kennedy, died on October 10, according to her grandson.

The matriarch of the Kennedy family was 96 years old. She lost her husband, former U.S. Attorney General and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, to an assassin’s bullet in 1968, six months before the last of their 11 children was born.

Kennedy was the mother of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran for president in 2024 before suspending his campaign in late August and endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our wonderful grandmother, Ethel Kennedy,” her grandson, Rep. Joe Kennedy III, wrote in a statement about X. “Along with a lifetime of work in social justice and human our mother is survived by nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly.

How did Ethel Kennedy die?

Kennedy’s grandson, Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III, wrote in his statement that his grandmother died of “complications related to a stroke he suffered last week.”

Ethel Kennedy was hospitalized after suffering a stroke while she slept last week, Joe Kennedy III said in a statement on Oct. 8. The family was at her bedside in the hospital, Kennedy III said.

“She feels comfortable, she is receiving the best possible care and she is surrounded by family,” the statement said. “She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has lived a remarkably fulfilling life. We will take care of her here.”

What are complications of a stroke?

The family’s statement did not specify what exact complications Kennedy suffered in the aftermath of her stroke.

Common complications of a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association, can include:

• Swelling of the brain
• Pneumonia
• To attack
• Ulcers
• Shoulder pain
• Deep vein thrombosis

Treatment includes medication, physiotherapy, good nutrition and respiratory therapy.