Eunice Fitzgerald was born in 1900 in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Mayor Thomas "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Hannon. She was one of six children of Boston's celebrated Irish Catholic mayor, and grew up in a household animated by politics, community, and civic ambition. Her sister Rose Fitzgerald would go on to marry Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and become the matriarch of the Kennedy dynasty.
Eunice Fitzgerald lived an exceptionally long life, reaching the age of 97 before her death in 1997. Her longevity meant she outlived many of the most dramatic chapters of her family's public story, including the assassinations of her nephews John and Robert Kennedy.
Eunice Fitzgerald holds a quiet but meaningful place in the Kennedy family story. Her name was carried forward by her niece Eunice Kennedy Shriver — the daughter of Rose and Joseph Kennedy — who became one of the most consequential figures in the history of disability rights as the founder of the Special Olympics. That naming choice reflected the deep bonds between the Fitzgerald siblings and the Kennedy family.
Having lived nearly a full century, Eunice Fitzgerald witnessed the entire arc of the Kennedy political saga, from her father's mayoral campaigns to her nephew's presidency to the family's continued presence in American public life. She stands as one of the longest-lived members of the Fitzgerald generation.
Eunice Fitzgerald is the late child of John Francis 'Honey Fitz' Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine 'Josie' Hannon.
Yes. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, was named after her aunt Eunice Fitzgerald, the daughter of "Honey Fitz" and sister of Rose Kennedy.
Eunice Fitzgerald lived to the age of 97, born in 1900 and dying in 1997, making her one of the longest-lived members of the Fitzgerald family.