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Cape Cod funeral set for Ethel Kennedy, social activist and wife of Robert F. Kennedy

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — Ethel Kennedy, who lost her husband Robert F. Kennedy to assassination, will be laid to rest Monday on Cape Cod following her death last week.

Ethel passed away on Oct. 10 at the age of 96 from complications related to a stroke, her family said.

A private funeral mass is set for 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory in the Centerville village of Barnstable.

“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement on Ethel’s passing said.

Ethel rarely spoke about her husband’s assassination and was by his side when tragedy struck. She went on to raise their 11 children after he was killed while running for president in 1968.

She advocated for many causes after founding the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

The Kennedy matriarch, mother to Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas, and Rory, was one of the last remaining members of a family generation that included President John F. Kennedy.

Her family said she had recently enjoyed seeing many of her relatives before falling ill.

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