Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of Sen. Ted Kennedy, died early in the morning on Oct. 8, PEOPLE confirms.

Joan Kennedy, the first wife of late U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, the mother of a congressman and the sister-in-law of a slain president, has died, the Boston Globe reported on Wednesday.

“Besides being a loving mother, talented musician, and instrumental partner to my father as he launched his successful political career, Mom was a powerful example to millions of people with mental he...