HYANNIS, Mass. — Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the presidential sister who founded the Special Olympics, was celebrated Friday at a funeral Mass as a warrior for the voiceless who changed the world for millions and an unconventional woman who smoked Cuban cigars and played tackle football.
“She was scary smart and not afraid to show it,” Maria Shriver said of her mother, who died Tuesday. “If she were here today . . . she would pound this podium . . . and ask each of you what you have done today to better the world.”
The Special Olympics torch led a procession for Shriver past thousands of onlookers who lined the streets outside St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church. Shriver’s only living brother, Sen. Edward Kennedy, who has been battling brain cancer, did not attend the funeral.
