India, Oct. 8 -- Joan Bennett Kennedy has died. She was born Virginia Joan Bennett in Bronxville, New York, in 1936. According to People, she grew up in a quiet, Roman Catholic suburban home. Later, she married into one of the country's most famous families, becoming part of the Camelot legend. Her 1958 marriage to Ted Kennedy threw her into the spotlight almost overnight.

But off the public stage, Joan Kennedy was calm and steady. She kept her composure, even when the press could be ruthless.

Joan and Ted had three children: Kara, Ted Jr., and Patrick. As per People, Kara battled lung cancer in 2002 and died of a heart attack in 2011. Ted Jr., an attorney and former Connecticut state senator, had bone cancer as a child and lost part of...