Ethel Kennedy faced unimaginable heartbreak throughout her life. Among the many tragedies she endured was the sudden loss of two of her sons. Take a closer look at the heartbreaking deaths of David and Michael Kennedy.
Ethel Kennedy, the wife of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was a prominent figure in American history, known for her unwavering commitment to social justice and her strength in the face of family tragedies.
Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy boarding a plane for San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 1966. | Source: Getty Images
Born into a political dynasty, she married into one of the most iconic American families. She and Robert raised 11 children, navigating both the highs of public service and the lows of personal loss.
Despite her remarkable resilience, Ethel was no stranger to heartache, having tragically lost two of her sons — David and Michael Kennedy — in sudden and devastating circumstances.
Ethel Kennedy at the Restore Ball in New York City on September 28, 1970. | Source: Getty Images
David, the fourth of Ethel’s children, led a life deeply affected by trauma. At just 13 years old, he witnessed the assassination of his father on live television, an event that haunted him for the rest of his life.
Despite his promising beginnings, the emotional toll of his father’s death led David down a path of addiction. On April 25, 1984, he was found dead in his hotel room in Palm Beach, Florida, at 28.
David and Chris Kennedy watching a tennis match with their cousin, Ted Kennedy Jr., on August 25, 1974. | Source: Getty Images
He had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for many years, and while his cause of death wasn’t immediately clear, investigators eventually ruled out suicide.
There were ”no signs of foul play,” said Sergeant Henry L. Marchman, spokesman for the Police Department of Palm Beach. The results of a preliminary autopsy tonight were being studied, as officials suspected it was an accidental overdose.
David Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention on July 15, 1976, in New York. | Source: Getty Images
David, who resided in Boston, traveled to Palm Beach to visit his grandmother, Rose Kennedy, who was in poor health. His body was discovered by a hotel secretary, Elizabeth Barnett, around 11:30 a.m. after a family member called to check if he had left for his flight.
When there was no response from his room phone, the hotel staff were instructed to investigate, according to hotel spokesman Gerald H. Beebe Jr.
David Kennedy in New York in 1984. | Source: Getty Images
The spokesman noted that hotel staff had seen David the previous Tuesday, describing him as being in good spirits. A desk clerk even recalled him waving as he passed the front desk.
David’s uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, reflected on his nephew’s troubled life, stating, “We all pray that David has finally found the peace that he did not find in life.” The Kennedy family were no strangers to tragedy and mourned deeply, but the heartbreak did not end there.
Members of the Kennedy family escorted by Ethel Kennedy carrying the casket of David Kennedy from the hearse to the Kennedy House on May 4, 1984. | Source: Getty Images
Thirteen years later, in 1997, another devastating blow struck Ethel when her son Michael died in a skiing accident. Known for his adventurous spirit, Michael was skiing in Aspen, Colorado, when he collided with a tree, resulting in his immediate death at 39.
Michael Kennedy and Vicky Gifford at Attorney Roy Cohn’s birthday party in New York City on February 22, 1981. | Source: Getty Images
Michael had faced controversy in the years leading up to his death due to an alleged affair with the family’s babysitter. The scandal even affected his brother Joseph P. Kennedy II’s political aspirations.
Single Dad Takes in Unwanted Boy with Down Syndrome—What He Discovers Years Later Will Shock You
A man who lost his family chooses to adopt a little boy that no one wants because he has Down syndrome. Years later, a lawyer contacts him with surprising news.
David walked back and forth in the hospital waiting room. His brother Jack said, “Calm down, Dave! You’d think no one ever had a baby before!”
David smiled. “I know,” he replied. “I’m just really nervous! I’ve always wanted to be a dad!”
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Jack smiled and patted his brother on the back. “Get ready to be a dad, my man!” Just then, the doctor walked in and went straight to David. The look on his face made all the laughter stop, and David knew something was wrong.
The doctor said it was one of those rare accidents that had cost Rita and their baby their lives. David listened calmly and nodded in the right places.
He didn’t even cry, but when he tried to walk, his knees gave out. A crying Jack had to help his brother and carry him home like a child.
Days later, after Rita and their baby were buried, and everyone seemed ready to forget, David woke up in a quiet house. He reached out to Rita’s side of the bed. Empty.
Parents often make heartbreaking decisions for their children’s welfare.
He got up and walked down the hall to the nursery and turned on the nightlight that shone soft stars on the ceiling. He and Rita had filled that room with both hope and sadness. Now it was all gone.
David sat in the rocking chair Rita insisted they needed and cried. His heart and home were empty, and his dreams were lost. He wanted to tear that nursery apart to escape that emptiness.
Suddenly, a thought came to him. “You can’t fill a hole with anger, only with love.” Who said that? David wondered. He had heard it somewhere before. Maybe that idea could save him.
David contacted social services to ask about adopting or fostering a child. At first, the social worker hesitated. “We don’t usually give children to single parents,” she said. “But it’s becoming more common.”
“I have a good life,” David said. “I have so much love to give a child. My wife and I dreamed of being parents, and I want to make that dream come true.”
The social worker picked up a file with colorful stickers. “Would you consider a child with special needs?” she asked.
David shrugged. “All children are special. They all have needs,” he said softly. “We never know what life might bring. I want to help the child who needs me.”
David had to go through many interviews and attend parenting workshops, but soon, the big day arrived. They told him he had a son.
“We have a little boy who has been in three different foster families,” the social worker said. “His name is Sam, and he is two years old. He has Down syndrome…”
“Where is he?” David asked.
“Sam has some health issues you should know about,” the social worker replied.
“I’ll take him to the doctor,” David said. “Whatever he needs, he will get.”
When David met Sam, it was love at first sight. Sam was the cutest little boy he had ever seen!
At first, Sam was shy, but when he felt David’s love and care, he slowly opened up. David couldn’t understand how anyone could not want such a sweet child!
It took Sam a little longer to reach his milestones, and the doctor said they needed to watch his heart, but in almost every way, he was perfect!
The best part of David’s day was when he picked Sam up from daycare, and his little boy ran to him with open arms. David would lift Sam high and tickle his belly, and his heart was filled with joy.
“Rita,” he’d whisper to his late wife as he watched Sam sleep. “I made our dream come true. I filled the hole you and our baby left in my life with love.”
The years passed, and Sam grew just like any other child. The doctor said his heart was doing well. He was a happy boy who made friends with everyone he met. No one could resist Sam and his big smile!
The phone rang constantly with invites for sleepovers and playdates, and David could hardly keep up with Sam’s busy social life!
When Sam turned twelve, he wanted to hang out with friends on his own like the big boy he was. It was hard for David, but like every parent, he learned to give his son space.
One day, he got a phone call from a lawyer. “Mr. Wallace,” the man said. “I’m calling about your adoptive son’s birth parent…”
“What do you want?” David asked sharply.
“I would like to talk to you…” the lawyer replied.
“I’m not interested,” David said. “Those people abandoned my son. There’s nothing you could say that I want to hear.”
“Please, Mr. Wallace,” the lawyer said. “For Sam’s sake.”
Reluctantly, David agreed to meet the lawyer. When he arrived, the man handed David a letter. “This will explain everything much better than I can, Mr. Wallace,” he said.
David opened the envelope and began reading: “Dear Mr. Wallace, if you are reading this, I am finally at peace with my wife. Thank you for loving my dear Sam and taking care of him.
“Before Sam was born, the doctors told us he had Down syndrome, but it didn’t matter to us. We welcomed him with joy. We thought we would have many happy years as a family, but it was not to be.
“When Sam was three months old, he had some tests at the hospital. My wife, Emily, and I went to pick him up, and we were hit by a truck.
“Emily died instantly, and I survived but became paralyzed. For twelve years, I felt like a dead man who still breathed and cried.
“I was not the father Sam deserved. I wanted better for him, so I placed him for adoption. I was right, Mr. Wallace, because you took my boy in and have been the best father.
“One day, I hope you can tell Sam that his birth parents loved him and wanted him. I never want him to think we abandoned him.
“Please, tell him! My lawyer will give you the papers for Sam’s trust fund, which will be in your care. Thank you again, Mr. Wallace, for loving my Sam and for being the father I should have been.”
The lawyer gave David access to Sam’s trust fund, which was worth $1.2 million. David promised to use the money to secure his son’s future, just as his biological father wished.
David thought about the families who had turned away from Sam. Would they have rejected him if they had known about the money? Sam’s biological father was right to hide the fortune so that his son could be loved for who he truly was.
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