Mom, Rocky & I just finished watching the service for Senator Ted Kennedy. My Mom's eyes have been watering for two days. It was a very moving service and when they sang "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" she lost it.
Her family are Boston Irish and she is the only one in her family to leave Boston. She grew up in the Kennedy Era. My Grandpa was a union official and was involved with politicians. He worked with Senator Kennedy on a couple of occasions.
Mom remembers Grandpa saying that Ted Kennedy would always ask "What can I do for you?". He always said "nothing", except one time he asked the Senator to ask his brother, the President, to send my Auntie Trisha an autographed photo. Sure enough a few days later a package came from the Senator's office with a autographed photo that said "To Pat...very best wishes, Mr. President."
Nearly 50 years later that photo still hangs in Auntie Trisha's house.
Here is a picture of Senator Kennedy taken in the early 1960's. My Grandpa is in the back to the Senator's left.