Eunice Kennedy Shriver, RIP

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President John F. Kennedy and Sens. Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, passed away on Tuesday at age 88. Here is the extensive Washington Post obituary, which describes how Mrs. Shriver's faith and family experience inspired her role in founding the Special Olympics and her other initiatives on behalf of society's most vulnerable members.

Consistent with those efforts, Eunice Kennedy Shriver remained a stalwart defender of the dignity of every human life at every stage and condition.

Shriver, a lifelong pro-life Democrat, was the sister of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Senator Edward Kennedy.

But she was honored by Feminists for Life of America in 1998 as a "Remarkable Pro-Life Woman."

When she received the award, FFLA president Serrin Foster tells LifeNews.com, "her husband phoned the office and asked us to send over a stack of copies for his family and friends. He was delighted that we recognized her in this meaningful way."

"Her legacy will live on in our work and especially in the work of Special Olympics," Foster says.

Shriver was a member of the advisory committee of the Susan B. Anthony List, a women's group dedicated to electing pro-life women to Congress

Unfortunately, Mrs. Shriver's concern for the dignity of every human life was not shared by the powerful leaders of the Democratic Party, including some in her own family. I see this is the underlying reason why they now find themselves lacking moral credibility as they try to sell a massive health plan to the American people.