RFK Jr. reacts to his ‘fearless’ mother Ethel’s passing: ‘Invented tough love’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to societal media connected Thursday evening to grant his mother, Ethel Kennedy, aft she died astatine the property of 96.

"My mom, Ethel Skakel Kennedy, passed peacefully into Heaven this morning. She was 96. She died successful Boston surrounded by galore of her 9 surviving children and her friends," RFK Jr. wrote connected X.

His lengthy tribute had astir 100,000 likes arsenic of Thursday evening.

Ethel Kennedy had 11 children with her precocious husband, Robert F. Kennedy, earlier his assassination successful 1968. She was large astatine the clip of his decease with their 11th child, a girl named Rory.

ETHEL KENNEDY, WIDOW OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY, DEAD AT 96

Ethel Shakel Kennedy Hope Awards Dinner, Show, New York, USA - 13 Dec 2017. (Stephen Lovekin/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)

"God gave her 34 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and the vigor to springiness them each the attraction they required. He blessed her with a affluent and eventful life. Even arsenic she declined successful caller months, she ne'er mislaid her consciousness of fun, her humor, her spark, her spunk, and her joie de vivre. She wrung joyousness from each moment, but for 56 years she has spoken with yearning of the time she would reunite with her beloved husband," RFK Jr.'s tribute reads.

After her husband's death, Ethel founded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights enactment aboriginal successful 1968.

"She is with him now, with my brothers David and Michael, with her parents, her six siblings, each of whom predeceased her, and her "adopted" Kennedy siblings Jack, Kick, Joe, Teddy, Eunice, Jean, Rosemary, and Patricia," continues her son's post. "From the time she met my father, her caller household observed that she was "more Kennedy than the Kennedys."

ETHEL KENNEDY, 96-YEAR-OLD WIDOW OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY, SUFFERS STROKE, FAMILY ASKS FOR PRAYERS

Ethel Kennedy was impassioned to enactment Democrat politicians and governmental causes passim her life. President Barack Obama presented Kennedy with a Presidential Medal of Freedom successful 2014.

"My parent invented pugnacious love, and she could beryllium hard connected her children erstwhile we didn’t unrecorded up to her expectations. But she was besides intensely loyal, and we ever knew that she would basal fiercely down america erstwhile we came nether onslaught by others," wrote Kennedy.

Ethel Kennedy attends a ceremonial to denote the adjacent vessel successful the adjacent procreation of fleet replenishment oilers volition beryllium named USNS Robert F. Kennedy astatine the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library successful Boston connected Sept. 20, 2016. Many members of the Kennedy household and different dignitaries were successful attendance. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

RFK Jr. finished his tribute saying, "I recognition her for each my virtues. I’m grateful for her generosity successful overlooking my faults."

According to RFK Jr., his household has not been wholly on-board with his caller endorsement of erstwhile President Donald Trump successful the 2024 election.

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Ethel Kennedy suffered a changeable connected October 3 and was hospitalized anterior to her death, according to her family.