Kitty Dukakis, the wife of Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, has died at the age of 88 from dementia complications.
Kitty died on Friday in her home in Brookline, Massachusetts, her son told The Washington Post.
The politician’s wife had previously battled depression and addiction – a fight she admitted to in a memoir.
She suffered from alcoholism after her husband lost his presidential bid in 1988.
Kitty became an advocate electroconvulsive therapy for depression treatment as well.
She deserved as the First Lady of Massachusetts while her husband was governor from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991.
She had a diverse career background, working as a modern-dance instructor, a social worker, an arts patron, and an activist, according to The Post. She was known for her advocacy on behalf of the homeless and various other vulnerable groups.
Kitty also helped the resettled of refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Afghanistan in the 1970s and 1980s.
Kitty Dukakis, the wife of Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, has died at the age of 88 from dementia complications
Kitty died on Friday in her home in Brookline, Massachusetts
During a humanitarian trip to the Thai-Cambodian border in 1985, she notably pleaded with a Thai colonel to be allowed entry into a restricted refugee camp, displaying her dedication to humanitarian causes.
‘I knew I wasn’t going to get off my knees until he said: “Yes.”‘ she told the Boston Globe.
After gaining access, she took an orphan back to the States to be reunited with a relative living near Boston.
Her tenure as Massachusetts’ First Lady saw her focus on humanitarian issues, and she played a role in establishing the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, underscoring her Jewish heritage and commitment to preserving historical memory.
Outside of her activism, she was known for her chain-smoking, fashion sense, and love of high-class treats, such as designer clothes and first-class travel.
This contrasted her husband, who mowed his own lawn as governor and who preferred to fly coach.
‘Michael can take a peanut out of the can. I eat the whole can,’ she once said.
She described herself as a ‘strong’ and ‘assertive’ woman who often pushed back against people she didn’t think were taking her or her husband’s causes seriously.
She described herself as a ‘strong’ and ‘assertive’ woman who often pushed back against people she didn’t think were taking her or her husband’s causes seriously
The politician’s wife had previously battled depression and addiction – a fight she admitted to in a memoir. She also suffered from alcoholism after her husband lost his presidential bid in 1988
‘Have you ever heard the words assertive or aggressive used to describe the male spouse of a candidate?’ she questioned to The Los Angeles Times.
She also fiercely campaigned for her husband in his fight for presidency against then-Vice President George HW Bush.
She also spoken openly about her addiction problems, which stemmed from her abusing diet pills at 19, leading to 26 years of abusing amphetamine, according to The Post.
She felt the need to help other addicts too and took her struggles public during his campaign.
‘One of the tenets of recovery is helping others. I knew I would have an even greater opportunity to help others in a national campaign,’ she said at the time.
But as her husband’s campaign continued, she would find herself becoming dependent on alcohol to deal with the stress.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
