Rose Fitzgerald was born in Boston’s North End and moved to Dorchester with her family in 1904. A graduate of Dorchester High School, she married Joseph Kennedy in 1914 and together they had nine children. She served as ambassador’s wife to the Court of Saint James from 1937 until the outbreak of World War II. She is most notably remembered as the mother of President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy. She devoted her life to raising her children and was active in supporting her sons’ political campaigns. Rose Kennedy was dedicated to The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, named for her eldest child, who was killed in action during World War II. The Foundation supports research and programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities and helped promote the Special Olympics, a global movement of inclusion. The Special Olympics stemmed from daughter Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s desire to honor her sister Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability. To mark her 90th birthday, Rose Kennedy led a grandparents’ march to raise funds for the Special Olympics. She lived to be 104.
