Eunice Kennedy Shriver Dead @ 88

[Perknose]

NYT free sub article.

I always liked her. To me, she was a shining example of person born to money and privilege who gave back, heart and soul. She was one upstanding citizen of the United States of America.

This tiny excerpt subtly says it all about her for me:

?I was just a young physical education teacher in the Chicago Park District back in the summer of 1968, a time of horrific tragedy for the Kennedy family, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver wrapped her arms around the very first Chicago Special Olympic games held at Soldier Field,? Justice Anne M. Burke of the Illinois Supreme Court said in an e-mail message. ?I will never forget at the start of the games when she asked me to go to Sears and buy her a $10 bathing suit so she could jump in the pool with the Special Olympics swimmers.?

:thumbsup:

 

[Bowfinger]

 

[Capt Caveman]

 

[alchemize]

The Special Olympics is often the target of jokes, and I might have tossed out one or two in my day, but I also volunteered at a few of them and I'll tell you - to those kids, they were the real olympics. Just shows how one person can impact the lives of many in such a positive way. We need more like her...

 

[Lemon law]

At 88, she lived a long and full life, but in passing, she made the world a better place. We can only hope someone else picks up the special Olympics torch half as well as Eunice.

 

[heyheybooboo]

We can only hope to have a minute fraction of the positive impact in our communities that Ms Shriver had with the Special Olympics.


From the family statement:

We have always been honored to share our mother with people of good will the world over who believe, as she did, that there is no limit to the human spirit.

 

[tk149]

 

[dphantom]

 

[imported_Lothar]

 

[SirStev0]

She founded the Special Olympics after her parents forcibly lobotomized her younger sister for being a little too "fond" of men as a teenager.

Ohh well, at least she tried. RIP.

 

[ProfJohn]

If only all of us could make an impact on people like she did.