08/11/2009 GAAS:437:09 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Governor Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement on the passing of his
mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver:
"I am
immensely saddened by the passing of my mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
"Eunice
was the light of our family. She meant so much, not only to us, but to our
country and to the world. She was a pioneer who worked tirelessly for social
and scientific advances that have changed the lives of millions of
developmentally disabled people all over the world.
"Inspired
by her faith in God and her love of her sister, Rosemary, she was on a
life-long mission to expand opportunities for those with intellectual
challenges and to prove that they are capable of great achievements.
"Apart
from her family, her greatest legacy is the Special Olympics, which started as
a summer camp in her backyard in 1962, and has grown into a global movement and
organization that has transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people.
"Eunice
was the devoted mother of five children, including my dear wife, Maria. My
mother-in-law changed my life by raising such a fantastic daughter, and by
putting me on the path to service, starting with drafting me as a coach for the
Special Olympics. I will miss her every day, but I know her spirit endures
through her amazing children and grandchildren, and through the many lives she
changed."
