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Remembering Jackie Kennedy Onassis: The Enduring Legacy of an American Icon 31 Years Later
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had been dead for more than three decades at the time I wrote this, however, she is still very much a symbol of America by herself. This stunning lady was the First Lady of the United States and was there at the time of the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy in 1963, passed away on May 19, 1994. She lost the battle to cancer after a very short illness as the disease was diagnosed less than a year before her demise. Bill Clinton, the then President of the United States, in a statement released the day after the death of the former First Lady, referred to her as a “model of courage and dignity not only for Americans but also for the rest of the world.”
He continued to say that her brains and beauty were not only a source of fascination on the American stage but the whole world as well, and that “even when confronted with the most unimaginable tragedy, she took – not only her family’s grief – but also our nation’s grief upon herself with such a quiet strength which comforted all of us who were sorrowful, she somehow reassured us.”
Jackie Kennedy’s Death and Legacy: Her Final Resting Place and Life Story Revisited in FX’s Love Story
Jackie Kennedy was buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to her husband, John F. Kennedy who was the president of the U.S. before she was the first lady. At the time of her passing, her only surviving children were her son, John F. Kennedy Jr., and her daughter, Caroline Kennedy. Also, she had a longtime companion, Maurice Tempelsman. This love story aired on FX on 12 February and is based on the tragic ending of her life and the public’s ongoing fascination with the Kennedys. The show is the love story of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Here is a brief summary of Jackie Kennedy’s death and her legacy in the context of the life story of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
How Did Jackie Kennedy Die?
Jacqueline Kennedy died of natural causes in her sleep on May 19, 1994. Not long before her death, a few months to be exact, her doctor had informed her that she was suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer diagnosis was the result of a trip to the doctor after she fell off her horse while foxhunting in Virginia in November 1993. The doctors discovered a swollen lymph node in her groin. At the beginning, they only considered it to be an infection but her condition deteriorated by December, and the doctors then informed her that she had cancer.
After Jackie’s chemotherapy started in January 1994, she was open about her illness. Nancy Tuckerman, her spokesman, said that they were looking forward to a good prognosis. Jackie was still working as an editor part-time at Doubleday. In March the cancer had already spread to her spinal cord and brain. By May when the doctors discovered cancer in her liver, they told her that the disease was terminal.
When and Where Did Jackie Kennedy Die?
Jackie Kennedy was found dead in her home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City at 10:15 p.m. on May 19, 1994. In fact, she had been in the hospital earlier during the days leading to her death but she left New York Hospital on May 18 to spend her final days at home, according to the National Archives.
The next day, JFK Jr. spoke to the press in front of the apartment building where his mother lived and said, “She was surrounded by her friends and family and her books and the people and the things that she loved. And she did it her own way, and we all feel lucky for that and now she is in God’s hands.”
Jackie Kennedy Passed Away with Children Nearby
Jackie Kennedy ended her life with her children beside her. No one really knows what her last words were since they were never made public, but she did leave a very touching letter for her son, JFK Jr.
Some parts of the letter were revealed by a family friend, Gary Ginsberg, in a 2025 CNN documentary titled American Prince. Jackie told in the letter, “I know the pressure you will always have to bear as a Kennedy, even though we brought you into this world as a pure soul. You, particularly, are a part of history. Whatever path you decide to take in life, the only thing I can ask is that you … keep on making me, the Kennedy family and yourself proud.”
Where Jackie Kennedy Was Laid to Rest?
The funeral service for Jackie Kennedy was held on May 23, 1994. The family first went to a private mass at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York—the very church where Jackie had been baptized, confirmed and where she regularly attended church services.
At the service, her partner Maurice Tempelsman who had been with her for a long time read the poem Ithaka by C. P. Cavafy and shared the lines:
“Keep Ithaka always in your mind…It’s getting there that is your destiny. But don’t hurry the trip at all. Better if it lasts for years, so that when you get to the island you are old, wealthy with all you have gained on the way, and not expecting Ithaka to give you any more riches.”
Jackie was buried next to her first husband, President John F. Kennedy, at Arlington National Cemetery. A few ferns decorated her mahogany coffin, and a simple cross made from lilies-of-the-valley was placed on top of it, as per the John F. Kennedy Library.
The Enduring Legacy of Jackie Kennedy
Jackie Kennedy transformed the position of First Lady from a mere political accessory to a role with significant cultural influence as well as intellectual authority. In the White House years, she mounted a pioneering restoration of the presidential residence where she displayed a collection of American arts and history which, in fact, she unveiled to the public in 1962 through a television tour.
Besides her public service, during the 20th century, she was among the fashion icons who set trend after trend. She made her pillbox hats, tailored suits, and big sunglasses a style that never goes out of fashion. Her composure and dignity demonstrated to the whole nation that in their grief, they could find a figure to emulate. A great part of the Kennedy era’s legacy can be traced to her influence since she used the term “Camelot” in one of her interviews to refer to his presidency.
Jackie also embarked on a promising second career as a book editor at Doubleday. However, she remained, throughout her life, a steadfast mother who unraveled no other ambition in the world higher than that of nurturing her children, Caroline and JFK Jr.
