Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies

President John F. Kennedy's sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, died Tuesday morning surrounded by family at a Hyannis hospital.

She was 88.

Reports indicate that the founder of the Special Olympics and championing the rights of the mentally disabled had suffered a series of strokes in recent years.

Reports further indicate that Shriver's husband, her five children (including NBC newswoman Maria Shriver, who is married to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger) and and all 19 of her grandchildren were by her side.

"She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others," the family said.

Her brother Sen. Edward Kennedy, who has been battling a brain tumor, remembered his sister as a "young girl with great humor, sharp wit, and a boundless passion to make a difference."

"She understood deeply the lesson our mother and father taught us -- much is expected of those to whom much has been given. Throughout her extraordinary life, she touched the lives of millions, and for Eunice that was never enough."

Over the course of her life Shriver received numerous honours including the highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which she received in 1984.

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