Father of Kennedy scandal victim dies

Pocono Record ^ | 1/1/2004 | ERIN DOOLITTLE

[Born Conservative]

EAST STROUDSBURG — The father of Mary Jo Kopechne died in Stroud Manor 34 years after his daughter was killed in one of the most notorious scandals to plague the Kennedy family.

Joseph Kopechne was 90 years old when he died on Christmas Eve. He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Gwen.

The Kopechnes moved to Swiftwater and later East Stroudsburg four years after their daughter's death in 1969.

Mary Jo Kopechne was the passenger in a car driven by Sen. Edward Kennedy on Chappaquidick Island, Mass., on July 19, 1969, when the car ran off a bridge into Poucha Pond. Kennedy escaped the accident and Kopechne drowned. The accident happened shortly after the pair left a party together sometime after 11 p.m.

The circumstances surrounding the accident — the party guests were six married men (including Kennedy) and six unmarried women; Kennedy failed to report the accident — sullied his reputation and ended his plans to run for president in the next election. He did eventually run, in 1980, and lost in the Democratic primary to Jimmy Carter.

Mary Jo Kopechne is buried in Saint Vincent's Cemetery in Larksville, Luzerne County.

Joseph Kopechne was born in Forty-Fort, near Wilkes-Barre.

[Born Conservative]

Here is the obit I posted yesterday.

[mewzilla]

Interesting phrasing in the title. Miss Kopechne wasn't the victim of a Kennedy scandal. She was a victim of a Kennedy. And the resulting scandal wasn't scandalous enough.

[laconic]

I believe she was an only child, I feel for her family. As tragic as her death was, she did unwittingly perform a great service for this country and its citizens, although at an awful price for her and her family. It prevented Ted Kennedy from ever becoming President of the United States, at a time when the Kennedy "aura" (and vote-stealing) still went a long way to electing Kennedy family members even outside of Massachusetts. Witness Maryland last year -- those days are gone.

[cynicom]

Money talks and we know what walks, her family took the money. Kennedy got a free ride.

[mewzilla]

I'd heard that. She deserved better.

[laconic]

You should watch the two-hour special on Chappaquiddick done by Bill Kurtis of the show American Justice on A&E. Kurtis pulls no punches and the good senator does not come off well.

[chainsaw]

Mary Jo Kopechne died in Stroud Manor 34 years after his daughter was killed by Teddy Kennedy.

Ah yes, I remember it well.

[eddie willers]

Kurtis pulls no punches and the good senator does not come off well.

Drunk, murdering cowards rarely do.

[doosee]

Money talks and we know what walks, her family took the money. Kennedy got a free ride.

I often wondered about the money. Has it ever come out how much they got? Otherwise I cannot believe any family would ever have remained silent on this murder.

[cynicom]

At the time, the figure of $100,000 for "expenses" was bandied about. There was never a murmer from the family. Silence is golden perhaps but in this case one has to wonder how golden was the silence.

[I still care]

Not one mention in the article of alcohol. Does anyone believe that if it was a Republican it wouldn't be prominently mentioned?

[bimbo]

The Kopechne death would have gotten MUCH more publicity except for the fact it occurred during the Apollo 11 moon landing.

[doosee]

The Kopechne death would have gotten MUCH more publicity except for the fact it occurred during the Apollo 11 moon landing

No, the Northeast liberal media gave it the free pass treatment. Look at Dean referring to the Soviet Union. If Bush or Rummy or Rice had said that, it would be on the cover of Time mag. The conspiracy of evil is strong in the journalism business.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Those events merely provided cover to shuffle things under. The iconic Kennedy aura was/is revered far beyond any scandal's capabilities to tarnish. The consipiracy of silence and the stench of their corruption is part of what drives the internal collapse of the New Left in America today. Let them lie, the truth will find them in the end.

Hey Ted,

If you can read these words through the blear of another stupendous hang-over, Happy New Year, you fat, wet-brained, treasonous pig. Looking forward to 2004 and more reversals for your corrupt party and, of course, tracking the ravaging consequences of Korsakoff's syndrom on your bloated, blotchy carcass.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

'swhy 95 percent of the profession voted for the Clintons.

[Ichneumon]

I knew the general story of Ted Kennedy and how he was complicit in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but I never knew the details.

Then I read this website and was shocked to learn what all he got away with: http://ytedk.com.

[HighWheeler]

I wonder if Teddy the Liquor Pig will be going to this guy's funeral wearing a neck brace.

[HennepinPrisoner]

When I read the title of the thread (before I read the article), I said to myself "Well, that lowers it down to about 10...WHICH victim?"

[SJackson]

“If she had lived, Mary Jo Kopechne would be 62 years old. Through his tireless work as a legislator, Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age.”
- Charles Pierce, Boston Globe Magazine, 1/5/2003

[cars for sale]

bunch of ole mollasis runnin mafia thugs is all