Joan Bennett Kennedy, the former wife of the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, is dead at the age of 89.
A family spokesperson said she died in her sleep this morning at her Boston home.
She was an advocate for mental health and addiction services who publicly acknowledged her struggles with alcoholism and depression.
Her son Ted Kennedy Junior, said he will always admire the way she faced her challenges with "grace, courage, humility and honesty."
Her younger son, former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy, said his mother was a powerful example to millions of people with mental health conditions.
(Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images