Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at 88
A long time advocate for children's health and disability issues, she became one of the founders of the Special Olympics in the 1960s.
A strong supporter of children's health and disability, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, in 1968, organized the first Special Olympics games, in Chicago. Up until then, this event was only a back yard summer camp put together by Mrs. Shriver. In addition, she was a key founder of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 1962.
Over the years, she has won countless awards including the (U.S.) Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt Award given by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2002, and Sports Illustrated first Sportsman of the Year Legacy Award last December for her work with the Special Olympics.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was the sister of former President John F. Kennedy who she actively campaigned for the 1960 U.S. presidential elections. She was married to Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., the U.S. Ambassador to France from 1968 to 1970 and the Democratic U.S. Vice Presidential candidate in 1972, and had five children.
She died early Tuesday morning at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts surrounded by her family. The cause of death has not been determined but for a year, Mrs. Shriver was suffering the health affects after a series of strokes. She was 88 years old.Source: Washington Times
