Latest news with #Dukakis
Boston Globe
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Kitty Dukakis to be honored at Sunday memorial service
Dukakis, who passed away in March, was an activist, author and mother who shared her personal struggle with alcoholism and depression, the treatment options she used, and the relapses she had. In her political life, she served as a presidential appointee on national Holocaust panels and championed aid to the homeless and support for political refugees. She Advertisement 'She fought to make the world better, sharing her vulnerabilities to help others face theirs,' said in a statement from her family shortly after her passing. 'She was loving, feisty and fun, and had a keen sensitivity to people from all walks of life.' Born Katharine Dickson in Cambridge, she graduated from Lesley College in 1963 and married Dukakis shortly after graduating, her second marriage. Advertisement During her husband's run for president, she had an active role in the campaign, giving countless speeches and interviews on his behalf. Michael Dukakis, 91, was the governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991, and he ran for president in the 1988 race that he lost to Vice President George H.W. Bush. Following her death, Massachusetts political leaders remembered her for her dedication to uplifting others, public service, and for breaking barriers for women in leadership. 'She was a strong advocate for children, women and refugees, while also taking a leadership role in ensuring that the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten,' Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said in a statement after Dukakis's death. 'She spoke courageously about her struggles with substance use disorder and mental health, which serves as an inspiration to us all to break down stigma and seek help.' Talia Lissauer can be reached at
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local officials release statements on passing of former first lady of Massachusetts, Kitty Dukakis
BOSTON (WWLP) – Local officials have been releasing statements on the passing of Kitty Dukakis, the wife of former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. Decades in making, South Coast rail service begins Monday Dukakis was 88 years old and died on Friday night surrounded by her family and her son, John Dukakis. The Associated Press states that Dukakis was highly regarded for her openness about her struggles with substance use disorder and mental health issues. She worked tirelessly to break down the stigma and advocated for seeking help. Dukakis also championed support for the homeless and political refugees. During her husband's 1988 presidential campaign, Dukakis earned high praise as a political campaigner, actively campaigning and promoting his candidacy. Dukakis and her future husband met while attending high school in Brookline, Massachusetts. Governor Maura Healey issued a statement on her passing: 'I'm saddened to hear about the passing of Kitty Dukakis, who was a force for good in public life and behind the scenes. She was a strong advocate for children, women and refugees, while also taking a leadership role in ensuring that the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten. She spoke courageously about her struggles with substance use disorder and mental health, which serves as an inspiration to us all to break down stigma and seek help. My heart is with Governor Dukakis and their loved ones during this difficult time.' Governor Maura Healey Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan released the following statement on her passing: 'Kitty Dukakis used her role as first lady of the Commonwealth to champion refugees and the homeless, promote greater awareness of the Holocaust, and advocate for placing more women in leadership roles within state government. Yet, it was her courage in publicly sharing her struggles with depression and substance use disorder that truly defined her strength. Her honesty and bravery helped break down stigma, inspiring countless others to seek support and begin their own journeys of recovery. Kitty Dukakis made our Commonwealth—and our world—a better place. We extend our deepest condolences to Governor Dukakis, John, Andrea, Kara, and their families.' Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent 22News the following statement: 'I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend Kitty Dukakis, a woman whose dedication to public service, to uplifting others, and to human rights was fueled by her indomitable spirit. Throughout her remarkable life, Kitty transformed her personal struggles into positive and persistent change – a proud legacy that continues to benefit our Commonwealth and our country. 'Kitty was her husband's most trusted adviser and confidant, fighting alongside Michael to advance the causes in which they believed. She was a champion for the most vulnerable in society and a fierce advocate for raising awareness about the Holocaust. Kitty worked to push open the doors to opportunity for more women to serve in government and leadership positions. She did all of this with a joy and selflessness that only brought us closer to her. 'Kitty was open about her battle with depression and addiction when few others were, and her grace and humility in the face of an intensely personal struggle inspired countless people to better understand these diseases and to extend assistance and understanding instead of recrimination and judgment. Today, the Kitty Dukakis Treatment Center for Women stands as a testament to her life's work serving others. 'Kitty was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Long after they left the public spotlight, Kitty and Michael continued to live purposeful lives together, dedicated to public service in all forms, and fighting for a better future for everyone. Whether you knew her or not, Kitty Dukakis made all of us better, stronger, and more compassionate, and that legacy will never be forgotten. My prayers are with Michael and the entire Dukakis family.' Senator Edward Markey WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The light — and vulnerability — of Kitty Dukakis
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up I was there in July 1987 when Kitty Dukakis revealed at a carefully choreographed news conference that she was treated for a dependency on prescribed diet pills in the midst of her husband's 1982 gubernatorial reelection campaign, while the public was told she was suffering a bout with hepatitis. Advertisement As I wrote at the time, 'Both the governor and his wife insisted that her decision to reveal the information was not prompted by any concerns that it would become public during the course of Dukakis' bid for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination.' But everyone understood the mission was to put out this sensitive news in the most positive way, before someone else did it less kindly. At one early campaign stop in Iowa, she talked about how she would continue the job she then had at Harvard's Kennedy School while Dukakis campaigned for president. She also suggested she would like to hold an outside job if Dukakis won the White House, telling voters, 'I'll be darned if I'm going to let' her professional identity 'go by the wayside.' Afterward, she walked that back a bit, saying she would only work part time. Even that was probably edgy for the era, given that Jill Biden is the first wife of a president or vice president to hold a paying job during her husband's tenure. Advertisement In a story from Minneapolis in January 1988, I wrote that Dukakis volunteers 'quietly discussed how much improved' Kitty Dukakis was as a campaign surrogate. Maybe that's because phrases like 'Michael believes' and 'Michael thinks' were now laced through her remarks. At a campaign stop in April 1988, at a senior center in Brooklyn, Kitty Dukakis — who was Jewish — sprinkled her talk with Yiddish expressions, and also talked seriously about Middle East politics. She also said that if, as president, her husband undertook a policy for that region that she opposed, she would discuss it with him. 'We're a normal couple who agree most of the time and share the same values,' she said. 'But we settle our disagreements together and I do accept that he's the ultimate decision-maker.' Ultimately, Kitty was Kitty. As I reported in July 1988, just before Michael Dukakis accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Atlanta: 'Finished with one interview, she is smoking a cigarette before the next. No pictures until she's done, she tells the photographer. She is still trying to prevent confirmation of the habit her husband hates.' In the post-convention whirlwind, Kitty Dukakis was a passionate advocate for her husband — and, behind the scenes, for not bowing to the brutal Bush campaign assault on his patriotism, integrity, and liberal principles. Advertisement In an interview given at their Brookline home shortly after Dukakis lost to Bush, she said that she had advised him to fight back hard and early, but that he had followed his own instincts. 'Clearly, the negativism was difficult and impacted on the campaign,' she said. 'I think the most difficult part of all that was they were being very effective in all their distortions.' One tactic used against him was also used against her. For example, she recalled how a false rumor that she had once burned an American flag was reported on the national news. In that interview, she also said she was looking forward to a return to a normal life. Yet this was a woman who described her husband's earlier gubernatorial loss as 'a public death.' Imagine how hard it must have been for her after his loss on the national stage. In her 1990 memoir 'Now You Know,' Kitty Dukakis bravely told the full story of her struggle with alcoholism and depression. During the presidential campaign, she wrote, she became 'an episodic binge drinker' dealing with 'a gaping emptiness I could not endure.' In light of that gaping emptiness, how hard it also must have been to face the judgment that goes with being a candidate's spouse — and how sad if she did not know her true value in that endeavor. Joan Vennochi is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Washington Post
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Kitty Dukakis, wife of former governor and presidential candidate, dies at 88
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Kitty Dukakis, the wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who spoke openly about her struggles with depression and addiction, has died. She was 88. Dukakis died on Friday night surrounded by her family, her son, John Dukakis, said on Saturday by telephone. She fought to make the world better, 'sharing her vulnerabilities to help others face theirs,' her family said in a statement. 'She was loving, feisty and fun, and had a keen sensitivity to people from all walks of life,' the family said. 'She and our dad, Michael Dukakis, shared an enviable partnership for over 60 years and loved each other deeply.' Dukakis won high marks as a political campaigner during her husband's 1988 presidential efforts, stumping tirelessly for him. She was called a key influence in his decision to seek the presidency. She even figured in the opening question of a 1988 presidential debate , when her husband was asked: 'Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?' Dukakis said he would not, and his unemotional response was widely criticized. Earlier in the campaign, in 1987, Dukakis revealed she had overcome a 26-year addiction to amphetamines five years earlier after receiving treatment. She said she began taking diet pills at age 19. Her husband made anti-drug efforts a major issue and she became prominent in the effort to educate youngsters against the perils of drug and alcohol abuse. But a few months after Michael Dukakis lost the election to Vice President George H.W. Bush, Kitty Dukakis entered a 60-day treatment program for alcoholism. Several months later she suffered a relapse and was hospitalized after drinking rubbing alcohol . In her 1990 autobiography, 'Now You Know,' she blamed her mother for much of her alcohol and drug addiction and a long history of low self-esteem. In 2006, she wrote another book, 'Shock,' which credits the electroconvulsive therapy she began in 2001 for relieving the depression she had suffered for years. The treatment, she wrote, 'opened a new reality for me.' Current Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called Dukakis 'a force for good in public life and behind the scenes,' a leader in the effort to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten, and an advocate for children, women and refugees. 'She spoke courageously about her struggles with substance use disorder and mental health, which serves as an inspiration to us all to break down stigma and seek help,' Healey said in a statement. Dukakis used her personal pain to help others, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement on social media on Saturday. 'Her legacy will live on in the policies she helped shape and the people she inspired to speak their own truths,' Campbell said. Dukakis broke ground by speaking openly about her struggles and championed support for the homeless and political refugees, said Maria Ivanova, director of Northeastern University's Policy School, which hosts the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy. 'Kitty Dukakis brought honesty, compassion, and strength to public life,' Ivanova said in a statement. 'Her legacy is one of service, resilience, and truth-telling.' Kitty Dukakis inspired many to engage in activism and was a 'deeply devoted spiritual companion' to her husband, center Director Ted Landsmark said in a statement. 'They have been truly effective change-makers on behalf of those in need of care and support,' he said. Michael Dukakis served as a distinguished professor of political science at the university. He has retired, but returns to campus for events and student consultations, Landsmark said. Dukakis and her future husband met while attending high school in Brookline, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. He was dull and frugal; she was dramatic and fancy. He is Greek Orthodox; she was Jewish. Kitty Dukakis, who was divorced and had a 3-year-old son, married Michael Dukakis in 1963, and they had two children, Andrea and Kara. Dukakis, whose late father, Harry Ellis Dickson, was associate conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, earned degrees in modern dance and broadcasting. After the presidential election, in 1989, Bush appointed her to be a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. She earlier served on the President's Commission on the Holocaust in 1979 and on the board of directors of the Refugee Policy Group. She has also been a member of the Task Force on Cambodian Children. By the late 1990s, Dukakis and her husband divided their time between Massachusetts and California, where she was a social worker and he was a professor for part of the year at the University of California, Los Angeles. ____ Former Associated Press writer Lisa Flam contributed to this report.
Boston Globe
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Mass. political leaders mourn death of Kitty Dukakis
'She was a strong advocate for children, women and refugees, while also taking a leadership role in ensuring that the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten,' Healey said in the Saturday statement. 'She spoke courageously about her struggles with substance use disorder and mental health, which serves as an inspiration to us all to break down stigma and seek help.' Advertisement Sen. Ed Markey said Dukakis broke barriers for women in government and leadership 'with a joy and selflessness that only brought us closer to her.' Related : 'Throughout her remarkable life, Kitty transformed her personal struggles into positive and persistent change - a proud legacy that continues to benefit our Commonwealth and our country,' Markey said in a statement. Mayor Michelle Wu said the Dukakis family fostered a lasting spirit of kindness and joy across the state, inspiring people to help one another. 'It was so inspiring to know that they had built a life and also were living as examples of what it meant to do right in your community to speak out and to try every day to make life a little bit better for everyone around you,' Wu said. Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan echoed the positive impact Dukakis had on the community, specifically for refugees and the homeless. He said it was her willingness to discuss her personal struggles when others were often afraid to talk about their private issues that made her unique. 'It was her courage in publicly sharing her struggles with depression and substance use disorder that truly defined her strength,' his statement posted on X said. 'Her honesty and bravery helped break down stigma, inspiring countless others to seek support and begin their own journeys of recovery.' Rest in peace, Kitty Dukakis 💙 — MA Democratic Party (@MassDems) Rep. Bill Keating Advertisement Kitty Dukakis was a remarkable woman. Her courage in speaking in public about her personal struggles created hope and inspiration for countless individuals in need. — Congressman Bill Keating (@USRepKeating) 'Our Commonwealth was lucky to have her as our First Lady. Kitty's legacy is one of resilience, compassion, and a commitment to making the world a better place,' he said. Talia Lissauer can be reached at
