Joan Kennedy smiles during a public appearance in the 1970s. The former wife of Sen. Edward Kennedy was a pianist and advocate for arts education | Image by @mariashriver/X

Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and a classically trained pianist who faced personal and public challenges during her years in the Kennedy family, died Wednesday at age 89.

Born Joan Bennett, she worked as a model before marrying Edward Kennedy in 1958. Her life soon intertwined with one of America’s most storied and tragic political dynasties. Her brothers-in-law included President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was killed during his 1968 presidential campaign.

Edward Kennedy entered the U.S. Senate in 1962 and became one of the chamber’s most prominent figures, though controversy followed him. In 1969, he drove a car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, resulting in the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy swam to safety and later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.

Joan Kennedy stood beside her husband through the scandal but later endured miscarriages and growing estrangement. By the time of his 1980 Democratic primary challenge to President Jimmy Carter, the couple had separated. They eventually divorced, though she remained a respected public figure in Boston and beyond.

Her love of music defined much of her later life. Prior to their divorce, she often performed at her husband’s campaign rallies and later toured internationally, combining performances with advocacy for arts education.

Her sons remembered her for her courage and honesty. “She taught me how to be more truthful with myself and how careful listening is a more powerful communication skill than public speaking,” Ted Kennedy Jr. said in a statement, according to the Los Angeles Times. Patrick Kennedy called her “a power of example to millions of people with mental health conditions.”