NEED TO KNOW

Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, died at 89 years old on Oct. 8

PEOPLE obtained a copy of Joan's death certificate, which confirms the circumstances of her death and reveals a previously undisclosed condition

Joan lived quietly in Boston for the last several years of her life, and never remarried after her 1983 divorce from Ted

Joan Bennett Kennedy , the first wife of Sen. Ted Kennedy , died "peacefully in her sleep" on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 89 years old, according to a family obituary .

A death certificate obtained by PEOPLE on Oct. 10 offers insight into her final years, revealing her immediate cause of death as dementia. The certificate notes that it's unclear how long she was experiencing the condition, which had not previously been

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