The 6th historical event of today occurred 20 years ago when the nation heard the news when Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) was an American philanthropist and socialite. She was deeply embedded in the lace curtain Irish Catholiccommunity in Boston, where her father was mayor. She was the wife of businessman and investor Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., who was United States Ambassador to the Court of St Jamess. Their nine children included President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and longtime Senator Ted Kennedy. After her son John became President in 1961, Rose became a sort of quiet celebrity, appearing on the International Best Dressed List. Most of her social activities consisted of involvement in charities and women’s groups. Rose also took brisk ocean swims outside her Cape Cod house in fifty-degree weather. After suffering a stroke in 1984, she used a wheelchair for the remaining eleven years of her life. She maintained her residence at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts and was cared for by private nurses and staff. On January 22, 1995, Kennedy died from complications from pneumonia at the age of 104½, having outlived her husband by a quarter of a century. She was survived by five children, 26 grandchildren, and 42 great-grandchildren. Rose Kennedy was interred with her husband at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1951, Venerable Pope Pius XII granted Kennedy the title of countess in recognition of her exemplary motherhood and many charitable works. In 1992, when she turned 102, the intersection of Welles Avenue and Harley Street in Boston was proclaimed Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square. The plaque was dedicated by her son, Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Also, the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, Massachusetts – the park that was created when the citys Central Artery was sunk below ground level in the Big Dig – was named after her on July 26, 2004. Well known for her philanthropic efforts and for leading the Grandparents Parade at age 90 at theSpecial Olympics, Kennedys life and work are documented in the Oscar-nominated short documentary Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 03:37:17 +0000
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