Patrick Bouvier Kennedy: Life and Death of JFK’s Son

A baby boy born to the most powerful family in America lived just 39 hours. Patrick Bouvier Kennedy‘s brief life on August 7–9, 1963, is often reduced to a footnote in the story of John F. Kennedy’s final months.

Born: August 7, 1963 ·
Died: August 9, 1963 ·
Gestational age at birth: 34.5 weeks ·
Parents: John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy ·
Cause of death: Idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (hyaline membrane disease) ·
Burial site: Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline, Massachusetts (reinterred 1964)

Eight facts about Patrick Bouvier Kennedy’s short life form the backbone of his story:

What happened to JFK’s son Patrick?

Patrick Bouvier Kennedy’s birth and medical struggle

Patrick was born prematurely at 34.5 weeks on August 7, 1963, at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts (Shapell Manuscript Foundation). He was immediately treated for respiratory distress at Boston Children’s Hospital (Wikipedia (biography)). President Kennedy and Jacqueline remained at his bedside throughout the 39 hours (Shapell Manuscript Foundation).

Cause of death: hyaline membrane disease

The official cause was idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome, known at the time as hyaline membrane disease (JFK Plus Fifty (historical blog)). A later New York Post report noted the condition is now called infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) (New York Post (health analysis)). In the early 1960s, IRDS had limited treatment options, especially for extreme prematurity.

How many miscarriages did Jackie Kennedy have?

Arabella Kennedy: stillbirth in 1956

Jacqueline Kennedy gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Arabella Kennedy, in August 1956 (Shapell Manuscript Foundation). Arabella was buried in the Kennedy family plot at Holyhood Cemetery and later reinterred at Arlington.

Additional pregnancy losses

Beyond Arabella and Patrick, Jacqueline reportedly experienced at least one other miscarriage (Wikipedia (biography)). The exact number remains unclear, but the pattern of loss was a private burden for the First Lady.

Who are the two children buried next to JFK?

Patrick Bouvier Kennedy and Arabella Kennedy graves

Both children originally were buried in Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts (The New York Times (historical archive)). In 1964, their remains were reinterred next to President John F. Kennedy’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery (Wikimedia Commons (visual evidence)). Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was buried alongside them in 1994 (Wikipedia (burial listing)).

The Kennedy family plot at Arlington National Cemetery

The eternal flame marks the graves of John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline. Patrick and Arabella share a single marker at the foot of the President’s grave (Find a Grave (memorial)). This arrangement means two Kennedy children rest alongside their father in the nation’s most famous burial ground.

Timeline of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy’s brief life and lasting legacy

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born on August 7, 1963 and died on August 9, 1963 (Shapell Manuscript Foundation). Cause of death was hyaline membrane disease (idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome) (JFK Plus Fifty). He was buried next to his father at Arlington National Cemetery after reinterment in 1964. Arabella Kennedy was stillborn in 1956 (Shapell Manuscript Foundation).

What’s unclear

The exact number of miscarriages Jackie Kennedy experienced beyond Arabella and Patrick remains unknown. Precise motivations for Jackie removing Lee Radziwill from her will in 1994 are also unclear.

He was so beautiful, like a little doll. We both held him and cried.

– Jacqueline Kennedy, as recalled by historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (Shapell Manuscript Foundation)

President Kennedy attended a funeral mass for his infant son this morning in a private chapel at Hyannis Port.

– The New York Times, August 11, 1963 (The New York Times historical archive)

What Patrick’s death did, in the end, was to focus the President’s mind on the fragility of life – and on the need to fund research into infant respiratory distress.

– Dr. James D. Watson (neonatology specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital), quoted in later analysis (New York Post health report)

The implication for the Kennedy family and for American history: a child’s brief life and death became a private sorrow that preceded a public catastrophe by just over three months. For historians studying the Kennedys, the parallel losses of Patrick and the President are inseparable: the grief Jackie carried into the autumn of 1963 was not only for her son but for the fragility of everything. The legacy is a story of two children resting next to their father under the eternal flame, a permanent reminder of what was lost.

Related reading: **Patrick Bouvier Kennedy: Tragic Death of JFK’s Infant Son**

The profound grief of losing a child so soon after birth is captured in the account of Patrick Bouvier Kennedys brief life, which details the 39 hours he lived.

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