Her mother Virginia Bennett was quoted at the time: "When you need a rest, where do you go?"
Joan Bennett Kennedy, who died early in the morning on Oct. 8, was the last surviving member of the Camelot generation. She lived through both the great highs and the traumatic lows often associated with America's famous political family.
Joan, the first wife of Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died at 89, was just 37 years old when she was the subject of a PEOPLE cover story in 1974 following her three-week stay at Connecticut's Silver Hill Foundation, a private sanitarium.
Her mother Virginia Bennett was quoted at the time: "When you need a rest, where do you go? Maine Chance? Her Washington internist recommended this place ... I don't like these headlines 'nervous breakdown' and all that. She needed a rest and I hope she got it."
But Bennett's comments glossed over that her daughter had in recent years faced a series of illnesses, three miscarriages and difficult pregnancies, as well as standing by her husband during the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident.
Chappaquiddick would prove to be the senator's most damaging scandal, and took place on July 18, 1969, when Ted's black Oldsmobile crashed off a small bridge on the tiny Massachusetts island of Chappaquiddick and landed in the water.
The next morning, the body of Mary Jo Kopechne -- a young woman who had worked for Ted's late brother, Robert F. Kennedy -- was found inside the mostly-submerged car.
Over the years, PEOPLE has investigated the mysterious car accident that killed a promising young political aide -- even launching an entire podcast dedicated to exploring what really happened that night -- yet many questions remain unanswered.
Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne had both attended a small party with friends earlier that evening at a rented cottage on the island, a small stretch of land that is part of Martha's Vineyard. Reports have indicated that only 12 people were at the gathering: Ted, five other married men, and six so-called "Boiler Room Girls," the name given to a group of young unmarried female campaign strategists, including Kopechne, who had worked on Robert's presidential campaign before he was assassinated in 1968.
Ted was behind the wheel, later claiming that he was giving Kopechne a ride back to the ferry so she could return to her hotel, when he said he took a wrong turn and headed toward the Dike Bridge, in the opposite direction of the ferry landing. The car crashed and went over the bridge, falling into the water below.
Kennedy managed to escape the submerged car, and later claimed he dove down multiple times to try to rescue Kopechne before ultimately giving up, going back to the party and returning to the bridge with a cousin and another party guest, who also tried to rescue Kopechne.
They did not notify the police about the incident until approximately 10 hours after the crash, though numerous calls charged to Ted's credit cards were placed from phones at the rented cottage and at his hotel to Ted's staff, friends, family, advisors and lawyers, according to The New York Times.
About a week after Kopechne's death, Ted pled guilty to a charge of "leaving the scene of an accident after causing personal injury without making himself known." He was given a two-month suspended sentence.
The scandal haunted Ted's political career and is largely believed to be why his presidential campaign some 10 years later was unsuccessful -- but it also haunted his first wife, as well.
Joan, who was pregnant at the time, stood by her husband in court and also appeared with him at Kopechne's funeral; she miscarried shortly thereafter. By the time he unsuccessfully tried to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries, they had separated.
According to PEOPLE's 1974 cover story, Joan declared Chappaquiddick as "a tragic accident, very unfortunate," and added, "I believe everything he said." But the tragedy also proved devastating for the couple, as stories of Ted's extramarital affairs and heavy drinking dominated headlines.
She and Ted announced plans to divorce in 1981 and the decision was finalized in 1983. Joan never remarried.
In later years, her struggle to stay sober made headlines anew and included highly publicized drunk driving incidents. After being appointed a guardian when her alcoholism came to a head in the early 2000s, Joan lived a quiet life in Boston and stayed relatively out of the public eye.
Together, Joan and Ted had three children: Kara, Ted Jr. and Patrick. Kara, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002, died from a heart attack in 2011. Ted Jr., an attorney and former member of the Connecticut state Senate, developed bone cancer at age 12 and had part of his right leg removed. Patrick served as a Rhode Island congressman for 16 years and is a mental health advocate.
GoLocalProv published an obituary announcing the news of Joan's death on Oct. 8, revealing that she died peacefully in her sleep at her Boston home. According to her death certificate, Joan died from dementia.
Friends remember her as a gentle soul who loved the piano and was a loyal Kennedy.