Joan Bennett Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Joan Bennett Kennedy is an American
musician, writer, and former model. She is the former wife of U.S. Senator
from Massachusetts
Edward "Ted" Moore Kennedy
.
, a neighborhood of The Bronx
borough
of New York City
, New York
, to Henry Wiggin Bennett, Jr., an advertising executive and Virginia Joan (née Stead) Bennett. Both of her parents were alcoholics. She attended Manhattanville College
(then a Sacred Heart college), in Purchase
, New York; Manhattanville is also the alma mater
of Jean Kennedy Smith
and Ethel Skakel Kennedy
, her future sisters-in-law.
As a teenager, she worked as a model
in television advertising.
— who had died in a plane crash in 1948 — Jean Kennedy introduced Joan to her brother Ted, then a student at the University of Virginia School of Law
in Charlottesville
.
They were married on November 29, 1958, in Bronxville, New York
. They had three children: Kara Anne Kennedy Allen
(born February 27, 1960, in Bronxville, died September 16, 2011 in Washington, DC), Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr. (born September 26, 1961), and Patrick Joseph Kennedy II
(born July 14, 1967).
Two of their children had cancer. Edward developed bone cancer that resulted in the removal of a portion of a leg in 1973 and Kara was treated for lung cancer
in 2003.
Her husband suffered a severe back injury in an airplane crash while campaigning for his first full term in the U.S. Senate. She assumed the full campaign-appearance schedule for his successful re-election in 1964
. He had earlier won a special election in November 1962
to serve the final two years of his brother John's U.S. Senate term; John had resigned from the U.S. Senate upon his 1960 election
as U.S. President
.
In July 1969, her husband was involved in a car accident off Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts that killed his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne
. Although pregnant and confined to bed in the wake of two previous miscarriage
s, she attended Kopechne's funeral. Three days later she stood beside her husband in court when he pleaded guilty to having left the scene of an accident. She suffered a third miscarriage shortly thereafter.
In early 1978, the couple separated. She subsequently gave interviews with People
and McCall's
confirming her alcoholism
and her work to stay sober. The couple remained together during his failed 1980 U.S. presidential campaign
, announcing plans to divorce in 1981; the divorce was finalized in 1982.
, Massachusetts, and Boston
, Massachusetts, she has worked with children's charities, remains an accomplished pianist
and has taught children classical music
.
In 1992, she published the book The Joy of Classical Music: A Guide for You and Your Family.
Her later years have been shaped by chronic alcoholism
, which had appeared during her marriage. It escalated with sporadic, uneven sobriety, repeated drunk-driving
arrests, court-ordered rehabilitation
, and a return to drinking. This ultimately led to kidney
damage, with the possibility of dialysis
and protracted complications from increasingly strict legal guardian
ship.
In 2005, she was hospitalized with a concussion and a broken shoulder after being found lying in a Boston street near her home.
In July 2004, her son Edward had been appointed her legal guardian; in 2005 her children were granted temporary guardianship.
At her request in 2005, her second cousin, financial planner
Webster E. Janssen of Connecticut
, established a trust controlling her estate
in violation of her sons' guardianship. 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. She agreed to strict court-ordered guardianship and her estate has since been placed in a new trust overseen by two court-appointed trustees.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer
and underwent surgery in October 2005.
Apart from a brief relationship shortly after her divorce, she has neither remarried nor pursued another relationship. She attended the funeral mass for Senator Edward Kennedy
at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician, writer, and former model. She is the former wife of U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Edward "Ted" Moore Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
.
Early life
She was born on September 9, 1936 Virginia Joan Bennett in RiverdaleRiverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
, a neighborhood of The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, to Henry Wiggin Bennett, Jr., an advertising executive and Virginia Joan (née Stead) Bennett. Both of her parents were alcoholics. She attended Manhattanville College
Manhattanville College
Manhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, located in Purchase, New York. Founded in 1841 it was known initially as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart...
(then a Sacred Heart college), in Purchase
Purchase, New York
Purchase, New York is a hamlet of the town of Harrison, in Westchester County. Its ZIP code is 10577. Its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, for Harrison could have as much land as he could ride in one day...
, New York; Manhattanville is also the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of Jean Kennedy Smith
Jean Kennedy Smith
Jean Ann Kennedy Smith is an American diplomat and a former United States Ambassador to Ireland. She is the eighth of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald and is their last surviving child. She is the sister of the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy,...
and Ethel Skakel Kennedy
Ethel Skakel Kennedy
Ethel Skakel Kennedy is the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as Attorney General of the United States and a United States Senator for the state of New York.-Early life:...
, her future sisters-in-law.
As a teenager, she worked as a model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
in television advertising.
Marriage and divorce
In October 1957, at the dedication of a gymnasium at Manhattanville College in memory of another Kennedy sister, Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of HartingtonKathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington
Kathleen Agnes "Kick" Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington , born Kathleen Agnes Kennedy, was the fourth child and second daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Kennedy. She was a sister of future U.S. President John F. Kennedy and widow of the heir to the Dukedom of Devonshire.-Biography:When...
— who had died in a plane crash in 1948 — Jean Kennedy introduced Joan to her brother Ted, then a student at the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
.
They were married on November 29, 1958, in Bronxville, New York
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
. They had three children: Kara Anne Kennedy Allen
Kara Kennedy Allen
Kara Kennedy Allen was a member of the American political dynasty, the Kennedy family. She was the oldest of the three children of U.S. Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy from Massachusetts, and the niece of President John Kennedy and Senator Bobby Kennedy...
(born February 27, 1960, in Bronxville, died September 16, 2011 in Washington, DC), Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr. (born September 26, 1961), and Patrick Joseph Kennedy II
Patrick J. Kennedy
Patrick Joseph Kennedy II is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Bristol County and Newport County, and parts of Providence County. Kennedy did not seek re-election in 2010.A member of the Kennedy...
(born July 14, 1967).
Two of their children had cancer. Edward developed bone cancer that resulted in the removal of a portion of a leg in 1973 and Kara was treated for lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 2003.
Her husband suffered a severe back injury in an airplane crash while campaigning for his first full term in the U.S. Senate. She assumed the full campaign-appearance schedule for his successful re-election in 1964
United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 1964
The United States Senate election of 1964 in Massachusetts was held on November 3, 1964 with the incumbent Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy defeating his challengers...
. He had earlier won a special election in November 1962
United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 1962
The United States Senate special election of 1962 in Massachusetts was held on November 6, 1962.-History:Senator John F. Kennedy resigned the seat to become President of the United States after winning the presidential election in 1960. Benjamin A...
to serve the final two years of his brother John's U.S. Senate term; John had resigned from the U.S. Senate upon his 1960 election
United States presidential election, 1960
The United States presidential election of 1960 was the 44th American presidential election, held on November 8, 1960, for the term beginning January 20, 1961, and ending January 20, 1965. The incumbent president, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not eligible to run again. The Republican Party...
as U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
In July 1969, her husband was involved in a car accident off Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts that killed his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne
Mary Jo Kopechne
Mary Jo Kopechne was an American teacher, secretary, and political campaign specialist who died in a car accident in Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts on July 18, 1969, while a passenger in a car being driven by U.S. Senator Edward M...
. Although pregnant and confined to bed in the wake of two previous miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
s, she attended Kopechne's funeral. Three days later she stood beside her husband in court when he pleaded guilty to having left the scene of an accident. She suffered a third miscarriage shortly thereafter.
In early 1978, the couple separated. She subsequently gave interviews with People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
and McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
confirming her alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and her work to stay sober. The couple remained together during his failed 1980 U.S. presidential campaign
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 1980
The 1980 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1980 U.S. presidential election...
, announcing plans to divorce in 1981; the divorce was finalized in 1982.
Later life
As a resident of Cape CodCape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, Massachusetts, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts, she has worked with children's charities, remains an accomplished pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and has taught children classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
In 1992, she published the book The Joy of Classical Music: A Guide for You and Your Family.
Her later years have been shaped by chronic alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, which had appeared during her marriage. It escalated with sporadic, uneven sobriety, repeated drunk-driving
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
arrests, court-ordered rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
, and a return to drinking. This ultimately led to kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
damage, with the possibility of dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
and protracted complications from increasingly strict legal guardian
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
ship.
In 2005, she was hospitalized with a concussion and a broken shoulder after being found lying in a Boston street near her home.
In July 2004, her son Edward had been appointed her legal guardian; in 2005 her children were granted temporary guardianship.
At her request in 2005, her second cousin, financial planner
Financial planner
A financial planner or personal financial planner is a practicing professional who helps people deal with various personal financial issues through proper planning, which includes: cash flow management, education planning, retirement planning, investment planning, risk management and insurance...
Webster E. Janssen of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, established a trust controlling her estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
in violation of her sons' guardianship. 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. She agreed to strict court-ordered guardianship and her estate has since been placed in a new trust overseen by two court-appointed trustees.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and underwent surgery in October 2005.
Apart from a brief relationship shortly after her divorce, she has neither remarried nor pursued another relationship. She attended the funeral mass for Senator Edward Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port.
Further reading
- Chellis, Marcia (1985). Living with the Kennedys: The Joan Kennedy Story. Simon & Shuster. ISBN 978-0816140589.