Former U.S. ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith died in Manhattan on Wednesday at the age of 92. Her daughter confirmed this on Thursday to "NBC News". "She had a wonderful life," said Kym Smith about her mother.
Jean Kennedy Smith was born on February 20, 1928 in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the eighth of the nine children of Rose (1890-1995) and Joseph Kennedy (1888-1969) and the youngest sister of John F. Kennedy, who was murdered in 1963 as the then U.S. President. Kennedy Smith was a shy member of the famous family and mostly avoided the public. After her marriage, she moved to New York City in 1956 and her husband died in 1990. They have four children together.
Barack Obama presented her with the Liberty Medal
In 1993 Kennedy Smith was appointed US Ambassador to Ireland by US President Bill Clinton (73) and was involved in the peace process in the Northern Ireland conflict. In 1998 she was made an Irish honorary citizen. In 2011, she received the Freedom Medal from President Barack Obama (58) for her service to charity. The Freedom Medal is the highest US award for civilians. In 2009, Kennedy Smith's brother and sister, Edward and Eunice Kennedy died. Since then she was the last of the siblings still alive.