r/JFK

On this day 32 years ago, the world lost former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who died in New York at the age of 64 after a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. John addressed the crowd outside his mother's apartment on May 20, 1994: “Last night at around 10:15, my mother passed on. She was surrounded by her friends and her family and her books... the people and the things that she loved, and she did it in her own way, and in her own terms.... We all feel lucky for that, and now she's in God's hands.”

Following her death, John told his friends “You don't really grow up until both of your parents are gone."

Memory of Jackie’s final days shared by her friend Joe Armstrong:

Carly Simon and I had lunch with Jackie the day before she went to the hospital for the last time. That day was hard because she had no eyebrows, no eyelashes, and an ill-fitting wig, but she wanted to be upbeat. We had to act like it was a regular lunch, but my heart was just breaking inside because it was just, "Oh my gosh, she's so different." She said to me, "Four more weeks and I get my life back." And four more weeks and she was gone. She collapsed the next day, and she was taken to the hospital, and I never saw or heard from her again.

John and I were scheduled to have lunch the day she died. That morning he called and said, "Joe, I'm not gonna be able to have lunch today." I said, "How's Jackie doing?" He said, "Well, it's like a car speeding down the highway and parts are falling off." Carly Simon came over to my house because we'd spent time together with Jackie and we were praying, and I got a call from Marta [Sgubin], who was sort of the house guru, and she just said, "You might want to come over." Carly and I went over there, and Marta said, "I don't know if Jackie would want a man to see her like this." I said, "I’ll just wait here in the living room."

I talked to John and he walked us to the door. He just said, "Mummy really loved you two." He had tears about to start rolling down his cheeks. I'd never seen him be emotional. He took it really hard. And now he had to go be composed and be the spokesman.

Robert Littell also shared: “During one of many stress-relieving racquetball games we played that spring, John told me he was grateful that if his mother had to die from cancer, at least it wouldn't be a long battle. He said that she was comfortable with her own fate and that her comfort made him feel better. John stayed by her side as much as she wanted, making his peace with things in her presence.”

My grandfather received a letter from JFK in February 1962.

I was curious on thoughts if the signature is real or autopen. I tried to research it and it doesn't seem to match the autopen examples I have found.

Thoughts?

some jfk photos

View of, fore from left, married couples Ivory Coast President Felix Houphouet-Boigny and Marie-Therese Houphouet-Boigny & First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and US President John F Kennedy as they stand in front of the White House's Grand Staircase prior to a State Dinner, Washington DC, May 22, 1962.