Rosemary Kennedy | |
|---|---|
 Kennedy in 1938, aged 20 | |
| Born | Rose Marie Kennedy September 13, 1918 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2005 (aged 86) Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Burial place | Holyhood Cemetery Brookline, Massachusetts |
| Education | Convent of the Sacred Heart |
| Parent(s) | Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| Family | Kennedy family |
Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy (September 13, 1918 – January 7, 2005) was the eldest daughter born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. She was a sister of President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert F. and Ted Kennedy.
In her early young adult years, Rosemary Kennedy was "becoming increasingly irritable and difficult". In response to these issues, her father arranged a lobotomy on her in 1941, when she was 23 years of age. The procedure left her permanently incapacitated and rendered her unable to speak intelligibly.
Rosemary Kennedy spent most of the rest of her life being cared for at St. Coletta, an institution in Jefferson, Wisconsin. The truth about her situation and whereabouts was kept secret for decades. While she was initially isolated from her siblings and extended family following her lobotomy, Rosemary did go on to visit them during her later life.