Ethel Kennedy Cause of Death: Details on Stroke Complications

Ethel Kennedy, a mother of 11, champion of human rights and widow of Robert F. Kennedy, died on Oct. 10, according to her grandson.

The matriarch of the Kennedy family was 96. 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 was running for president in 2024 before suspending his campaign in late August and endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy,” her grandson, Rep. Joe Kennedy III, wrote in a statement on X. “Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind 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 from “complications related to a stroke suffered last week.”

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

“She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible and she is surrounded by family,” the statement said. “She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are here looking after her.”

What are complications of stroke?

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

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

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

Treatment includes medication, physical therapy, proper nutrition and respiratory therapy.