Kitty Dukakis, former first lady of Massachusetts, dies at 88

Kitty Dukakis, the erstwhile archetypal woman of Massachusetts and woman of statesmanlike nominee Michael Dukakis has died, she was 88 years old.

Kitty’s son, John Dukakis confirmed to Boston 25 she passed distant connected Friday night.

Katharine Virginia Dickson was calved successful Cambridge successful 1936 and graduated from Brookline High School successful 1954. She joined Michael Dukakis successful 1963 and the 2 formed a beardown bond.

Kitty was known for being an outspoken advocator for radical with intelligence unwellness and addiction.

In a statement, John Dukakis said “she lived a afloat beingness warring to marque the satellite a amended spot and sharing her vulnerabilities to assistance others look theirs. She was loving, feisty and fun, and had a keen sensitivity to radical from each walks of life.”

“She was loving, feisty and fun, and had a keen sensitivity to radical from each walks of life,” the household said. “She and our dad, Michael Dukakis, shared an enviable concern for implicit 60 years and loved each different deeply.”

Dukakis won precocious marks arsenic a governmental campaigner during her husband’s 1988 statesmanlike efforts, stumping tirelessly for him. She was called a cardinal power successful his determination to question the presidency.

She adjacent figured successful the opening question of a 1988 statesmanlike debate, erstwhile her hubby was asked: “Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favour an irrevocable decease punishment for the killer?” Dukakis said helium would not, and his unemotional effect was wide criticized.

Earlier successful the campaign, successful 1987, Dukakis revealed she had flooded a 26-year addiction to amphetamines 5 years earlier aft receiving treatment. She said she began taking fare pills astatine property 19.

Her hubby made anti-drug efforts a large contented and she became salient successful the effort to amended youngsters against the perils of cause and intoxicant abuse.

But a fewer months aft Michael Dukakis mislaid the predetermination to Vice President George H.W. Bush, Kitty Dukakis entered a 60-day attraction programme for alcoholism. Several months aboriginal she suffered a relapse and was hospitalized aft drinking rubbing alcohol.

In her 1990 autobiography, “Now You Know,” she blamed her parent for overmuch of her intoxicant and cause addiction and a agelong past of debased self-esteem. In 2006, she wrote different book, “Shock,” which credits the electroconvulsive therapy she began successful 2001 for relieving the slump she had suffered for years. The treatment, she wrote, “opened a caller world for me.”

“I’m saddened to perceive astir the passing of Kitty Dukakis, who was a unit for bully successful nationalist beingness and down the scenes,” Governor Healey said successful a statement. “She was a beardown advocator for children, women, and refugees, portion besides taking a enactment relation successful ensuring that the horrors of the Holocaust are ne'er forgotten. She spoke courageously astir her struggles with substance usage upset and intelligence health, which serves arsenic an inspiration to america each to interruption down stigma and question help. My bosom is with Governor Dukakis and their loved ones during this hard time.”

She passed distant with her household by her side.

Dukakis utilized her idiosyncratic symptom to assistance others, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said successful a connection connected societal media connected Saturday.

“Her bequest volition unrecorded connected successful the policies she helped signifier and the radical she inspired to talk their ain truths,” Campbell said.

Dukakis and her aboriginal hubby met portion attending precocious schoolhouse successful Brookline, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. He was dull and frugal; she was melodramatic and fancy. He is Greek Orthodox; she was Jewish.

Dukakis, who was divorced and had a 3-year-old son, joined Dukakis successful 1963, and they had 2 children, Andrea and Kara.

Dukakis, whose precocious father, Harry Ellis Dickson, was subordinate conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, earned degrees successful modern creation and broadcasting.

After the statesmanlike election, successful 1989, Bush appointed her to beryllium a subordinate of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

She earlier served connected the President’s Commission connected the Holocaust successful 1979 and connected the committee of directors of the Refugee Policy Group. She has besides been a subordinate of the Task Force connected Cambodian Children.

By the precocious 1990s, Dukakis and her hubby divided their clip betwixt Massachusetts and California, wherever she was a societal idiosyncratic and helium was a prof for portion of the twelvemonth astatine the University of California, Los Angeles.

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates arsenic much accusation becomes available.

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