Biden, dignitaries honor RFK widow, human rights champion Ethel Kennedy

washington — 

U.S. President Joe Biden joined erstwhile Democratic presidents and others to grant longtime quality rights advocator and storied governmental household matriarch Ethel Kennedy astatine a memorial work successful Washington connected Wednesday aft her decease past week astatine property 96.

The widow of Robert F. Kennedy — a erstwhile U.S. lawyer wide and U.S. senator, who was assassinated portion seeking the Democratic statesmanlike information successful 1968 — founded a quality rights halfway to transportation connected her husband's work.

She ne'er remarried and went connected to rise her 11 children, enduring a big of different household tragedies on the way, including abstracted level crashes that killed her parents, member and nephew, arsenic good arsenic the untimely deaths of respective of her children, grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

She and her hubby were devastated by the assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, successful Dallas successful 1963.

Biden, a chap Irish Catholic who has leaned connected his religion amid his ain losses, including the decease of his lad Beau, said the Democratic household matriarch was determination for him astatine his clip of tragedy. He said her hubby had been 1 of his heroes.

"Ethel was a leader successful her ain right," Biden said successful remarks astatine the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle successful Washington, conscionable blocks from the White House.

Former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others, besides reflected connected her life.

The lad of civilian rights person Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated conscionable 2 months earlier Robert Kennedy, noted the 2 families' shared travel and knowing of sacrifice amid their enactment for societal justice.

"Faith and past knitted america together. Respect and emotion has kept america together," Martin Luther King III told the crowd.

The Kennedys were known for their parties and Wednesday's work was nary different, with scores of relatives filling the pews and high-profile attendees remembering the infectious tone highlighted by her children and grandchildren.

"She was a spitfire," Obama said. "As superior arsenic Ethel was astir righting wrongs, she ne'er seemed to instrumentality herself excessively seriously."

Other Democratic attendees included California Governor Gavin Newsom and erstwhile apical U.S. diplomat and statesmanlike campaigner John Kerry. Country prima Kenny Chesney sang "You Are My Sunshine" portion Sting amazed guests with "Fragile" and Stevie Wonder with "Isn't She Lovely."

Over the decades, Kennedy took up galore causes championed by her precocious husband, including warring poverty, moving for societal justness and protecting the environment. Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom successful 2014. She died connected October 10 from complications pursuing a stroke, her household said.

Her girl Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was Maryland's lieutenant governor, portion her lad Joseph P. Kennedy II represented Massachusetts successful the U.S. House of Representatives. Her grandson, erstwhile U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, serves arsenic peculiar envoy to Northern Ireland.

Her lad Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine advocator and erstwhile autarkic statesmanlike candidate, broke from his family's agelong Democratic ties to endorse Donald Trump successful November's election.

Many members of the Kennedy clan person denounced his predetermination authorities and backed the Democratic ticket, present led by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris aft Biden stepped speech successful July. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended Wednesday's work alongside his household but made nary remarks.