Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at age 88

Obituaries

Photos from the life of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President John F. Kennedy and founder of the Special Olympics.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and the founder of Special Olympics, has died at age 88. Shriver, seen here in 2006, had suffered a series of strokes in recent years and died at 2 a.m. at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.

Peter Collier, author of "The Kennedys, an American Drama," called Eunice Shriver the "moral force" of the Kennedy family. In this 1960 Kennedy family portrait, seated in the foreground from left are Eunice Shriver, Rose Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. Standing are Steve Smith, Jean Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Patricia Lawford and Eunice's husband Sargent Shriver, Joan Kennedy, and Peter Lawford.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy arrive at Hyannis Airport to be with their parents at nearby Hyannis Port, Mass. on Nov. 22, 1963, the day their brother President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

In 1953, Eunice married Sargent Shriver. He became JFK's first director of the Peace Corps, was George McGovern's vice-presidential running mate in 1972, and ran for president himself briefly in 1976. This photo of the couple is from 1968.

Shriver is credited with transforming America's view of the mentally disabled. Her efforts were inspired in part by the struggles of her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary. In this 1964 photo, Shriver is shown swimming with youngsters at a day camp for mentally challenged children in Philadelphia.

In 1968, Shriver started Special Olympics, which would become the world's largest athletic competition for mentally disabled children and adults. In this 1975 file photo, Shriver jogs with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on the Ellipse in Washington to kick off a 3,182-mile fund-raising jaunt for the organization.

With the Eternal Flame burning in the foreground, members of the Kennedy family gather at the gravesites of President John Kennedy and wife Jacqueline in 1995, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. From left are Ethel Kennedy, wife of the late Robert Kennedy; Rep. Patrick Kennedy, (D-R.I.); Victoria Reggie, wife of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. Kennedy, and Eunice Shriver.

As the mother of Maria Shriver, Eunice Shriver was the mother-in-law of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two are seen here sharing a dance after Schwarzenegger gave his acceptance speech in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 2006.

Eunice Shriver, seen here in 2005, was the recipient of numerous honors, including the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Harrison Rainie, author of "Growing Up Kennedy," once wrote, "When the full judgment on the Kennedy legacy is made ... the changes wrought by Eunice Shriver may well be seen as the most consequential."

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Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and the founder of Special Olympics, has died at age 88. Shriver, seen here in 2006, had suffered a series of strokes in recent years and died at 2 a.m. at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.

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