Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, died at her Boston home on Wednesday. She was 89.

An obituary published by GoLocalProv stated she died peacefully in her sleep.

A talented classical pianist with a master’s degree in education, Kennedy was married to the youngest Kennedy brother for 22 years, according to PEOPLE .

She was born in New York City on Sept. 2, 1936, and was raised in a Roman Catholic family in the suburbs. She met Ted Kennedy in 1957 when they were introduced by his sister, Jean Kennedy, who was a fellow student at Manhattanville College.

The couple wed on Nov. 29, 1958 in Bronxville, N.Y., after Ted’s father, Joe Kennedy, insisted they marry despite their reservations. They had three children: Kara, Ted Jr., and Patrick. Kara died fro

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