Eunice Kennedy Shriver, whom we noted a few days ago was in critical condition, has passed away. She was 88.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver had suffered in the last few years as a result of a series of strokes. The sister of Ted Kennedy and the late John F. and Robert F. Kennedy, her children include Maria Shriver, wife to CA governor (and actor) Arnold Schwarzenneger.
A statement issued by the family said that Eunice Kennedy Shriver died died at 2 a.m. on Tuesday at Cape Cod Hospital. Her husband, Sargent Shriver, her five children and all 19 of her grandchildren were by her side, the statement said.
The statement added:
"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.
“She was a living prayer, a living advocate, a living center of power. She set out to change the world and to change us, and she did that and more.
“She founded the movement that became Special Olympics, the largest movement for acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the history of the world. Her work transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe, and they in turn are her living legacy.”
U.S. President Barack Obama remembered Euniced Kennedy Shriver, and praised her for a life of helping of the disadvantaged, including founding the Special Olympics.
"Eunice was many things to many people: a mother who inspired her children to serve others; a wife who supported her husband Sargent in the Peace Corps and in politics; and a sister to her siblings, including brothers John, Robert, and Edward.
"But above all, she will be remembered as the founder of the Special Olympics, as a champion for people with intellectual disabilities, and as an extraordinary woman who, as much as anyone, taught our nation — and our world — that no physical or mental barrier can restrain the power of the human spirit."
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