Joan Kennedy Planned Her Own Funeral, Reveals Friend One Year After Her Death, 'Goodbye...'
In a recent interview, Joan Kennedy's friend, Margo Nash, revealed that the former wife of US Senator Ted Kennedy planned her own funeral.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleJoan Kennedy, the former wife of US Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, is once again under the spotlight. One year has passed since Joan left this world. For the unversed, Joan died on October 8, 2025. Now, in an interview, Joan’s friend opened up about some unheard facets of her life. She revealed the late pianist arranged her own funeral. It is worth mentioning that Joan, who was widely known as the former wife of Ted, was a talented pianist.
Joan Kennedy friend, Margo Nash, remembers her one year after her death
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Joan Kennedy’s friend, Margo Nash, shared that she and Joan met in 2006 on Cape Cod. They went to the same Manhattanville College. Margo revealed that one thing that struck her the most about Joan was her humility. She stated that Joan was easily accessible. She said:
"I want people to know that she was a lively, intellectual, gifted, funny person in her own right."
Further, in the interview, Margo revealed that Joan planned her own funeral at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston. The late pianist chose all the music. Margo added that through the arrangements, Joan kind of said thanks and goodbye. Margo said:
"Joan planned her own funeral at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, a church that works with the homeless community and those in recovery from addiction. She chose all the music. At the end was 'America the Beautiful,' and that’s Joan. I felt like she was saying thank you and goodbye."
Joan Kennedy survived much more than a difficult marriage, reveals her friend Margo Nash
In the same interview, Margo shared that Joan never shied away from admitting that she had an alcohol problem. However, she believes Joan was unfairly singled out for her drinking. According to Margo, other members of the Kennedy family, including Joan’s ex-husband Ted Kennedy, also drank heavily. She said that Joan became the Kennedy family’s 'designated drunk.'
Margo recalled that after Joan and Ted’s separation, Joan said that Ted did not care if she got drunk. But whenever she got drunk publicly, it bothered him. Joan was 22 when she got married to Ted. According to Margo, the late pianist had always been loyal to the Kennedy family. She loved politics and campaigned for Ted in 1964 after he had an airplane accident and broke his back.
At the time, a lot of people credited Joan for the votes. She became the youngest wife of the youngest senator ever. Margo revealed that the couple did not have a happy marriage. She admitted that the Chappaquiddick incident was a major turning point in Joan’s struggles with alcoholism and her marriage with Ted. She said:
"Those years weren’t all happy. But she was not a bitter woman. Stories of the Senator’s womanizing came later."
It is worth mentioning that Ted and Joan’s marriage seemed to be perfect and was the talk of the town back in the late 1950s. However, Ted’s infidelities, heavy drinking, and the increasing pressure of political life on their marriage left a deep crack in it. Things escalated further after the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, when Ted drove his car off a bridge.
Due to that incident, a 28-year-old woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, lost her life. Back then, Joan, who was pregnant, was forced to publicly come out and support her husband during the scandal. The situation became worse after Joan suffered a miscarriage shortly after the tragedy. Joan and Ted hit a rough patch privately, triggering Joan's struggles with alcoholism and depression. The former couple parted ways in 1978 and announced their divorce in 1981. Two years later, in 1983, their divorce was finalized.
Rest in peace, Joan Kennedy.
Pic credit: Margo Nash PEOPLE, Mariah Shriver/IG, Kerry Kennedy/IG
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