By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : American Senator Edward Kennedy, known as the Lion of the Senate, has died at his home in the U.S. at the age of 77, CNN reported on Wednesday.
Edward Kennedy, the younger brother of late president John F. Kennedy and slain New York senator Robert Kennedy, had been in poor health since he suffered a seizure in May 2008, but the official cause of his death has not been reported.
However, the New York Times said Kennedy’s doctors had diagnosed him with a malignant brain tumor.
“We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever,” a family statement said, quoted by the CNN. “We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice.”
Edward Kennedy had been continuously reelected to the U.S. Senate since 1962 and was considered one of the most effective legislators of the past few decades. Kennedy’s biographer, Ted Sorensen, said his “legacy in the United States Senate is comparable and consistent with the legacy of his entire family for generations,” CNN reported.
Last year the late senator had undergone surgery to remove a tumor, and rapidly returned to his work in the U.S. Congress. He had been working as the Democratic chairman of the Senate’s health and education committee until his death.