Mary Jo Kopechne (July 26, 1940 – July 18, 1969) was an American teacher, secretary, and political campaign specialist who drowned as a result of an accident on Chappaquiddick Island while a passenger in a car being driven by United States Senator Ted Kennedy.
On July 18, 1969, Kopechne attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island, off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, held in honor of the Boiler Room Girls.
Kopechne left the party Ted Kennedy, after he offered to drive her to catch the last ferry back to Edgartown, where she was staying. Kennedy drove the car off a narrow, unlit bridge without guardrails that was not on the route to Edgartown. It landed in Poucha Pond and overturned in the water. Kennedy extricated himself from the vehicle and survived, but Kopechne remained in the vehicle and was found dead. Kennedy failed to report the incident to the authorities until the car and Kopechne’s body were discovered the next morning.
It’s curious that it took mormons nearly 40 years to get around to baptizing Mary Jo. All we can assume is that they were anticipating Ted Kennedy’s passing this year and wanted to get her saved first.
Mary Jo Kopechne
Female
Event(s):
Birth:
26 JUL 1940 Forty Fort, Luzerne, Pennsylvania
Christening:
Death:
18 JUL 1969 Chappaquiddick Island, , Dukes, Massachusetts
Burial:
LDS Ordinances:
Baptism:
15 AUG 2008 PROVO
Endowment:
19 SEP 2008 PROVO
Sealing to Parents:
05 SEP 2008 PROVO
Joseph Kopechne / Gwen Kopechne
