Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of the late Massachusetts Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy, has died. She was 89.

Kennedy died in her sleep at her Boston home on Oct. 8, according to a family statement provided to the Cape Cod Times, part of the USA TODAY Network.

"Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a powerful example to millions of people with mental health conditions. She will be missed not just by the entire Kennedy Family, but by the arts community in the City of Boston and the many people whose lives that she touched," her son, Patrick Kennedy, said in the statement.

Through her more than 20-year marriage to Sen. Ted Kennedy, she was a member of his prominent Massachusetts-based political family. Her ex-husband was the brother of President John F. Kennedy and former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy, a classical pianist, music teacher and advocate for mental health and addiction services, was married to the former senator from 1958 to 1982.

They had three children together: the late television producer Kara Kennedy, former Rhode Island U.S. Rep. Patrick Joseph Kennedy and former Connecticut state Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Who was Joan Bennett Kennedy?

Kennedy, who played piano while campaigning with her husband, earned a master’s degree in musical education from Lesley University.

She performed with orchestras all over the world and advocated for arts education for all K-12 students. She was also active with local Boston arts organizations like the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Council for the Arts and Humanities.

John Williams, conductor laureate of the Boston Pops, said in a statement that Kennedy had "an impressive knowledge of the classical music repertoire."

"Her dedication to the Boston Pops Orchestra, and especially to the young people of Boston, will have a lasting impact. She will be greatly missed and will always be regarded as a member of our Boston Symphony Family," Williams said.

Kennedy was also known for publicly acknowledging her struggles with alcoholism and depression, something that few prominent women in America did at the time.

RFK Jr., more Kennedys react to Joan Bennett Kennedy's death

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. paid tribute to his uncle's former wife in a lengthy statement on X, in part calling her a "kind and generous aunt" and "the last survivor of an extraordinary generation of Kennedys."

"She was my friend, confidante, and my partner in recovery. Joan inspired me with her courage and humility," he wrote. "She was one of the first prominent women in America to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression, a move that she felt was essential to breaking the silence and tackling the taboo of addiction in the 1970s."

In another statement, Maria Shriver, a cousin to Joan Bennett Kennedy's three children, called her an "accomplished pianist, an arts advocate and a beautiful soul."

"She valiantly shared her struggle with addiction so that others could share theirs. She courageously shared what it was like to lose a child, get divorced from a famous man, and carry on. Her life was challenging, but she persevered," Shriver wrote. "As a young girl, I marveled at her grace, her beauty, her elegance. As a woman, I respected her grit, her resilience, her perseverance."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This story has been updated with additional information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joan Bennett Kennedy, first wife of late Sen. Ted Kennedy, dies at 89

Reporting by Melina Khan and Margie Cullen, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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