Ethel Kennedy (née Skakel, 1928–2024) was an American human rights advocate, best remembered as the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and sister-in-law of President John F. Kennedy. Born in Chicago to a wealthy businessman, she met Robert on a ski trip in 1945, married him in 1950, and they settled in Virginia, where their estate, Hickory Hill, became a famous hub for political and social gatherings. She actively supported the Kennedy political careers, helping in JFK's 1946 and 1952 campaigns and later backing Robert's 1964 Senate run in New York, even joking about the "carpetbagging" accusations. On November 22, 1963, she answered a call from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and learned of JFK's assassination, relaying the news to her husband. After Robert's own death, she devoted her life to human rights advocacy, sold Hickory Hill in 2009, and passed away in October 2024 at age 96.