Patricia Kennedy Lawford was the sixth in line of the nine Kennedy children of Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Kennedy. Like her siblings, Patricia had a privileged life, even if it was somewhat less than charmed. She had as much opportunity as was possible to afford a young woman during her early life. She had a famous family and money to burn. Unfortunately, her life was also plagued by the deaths and tragic misfortune of several of her siblings. One of her brothers died while fighting overseas. Two of her brothers were political figures who were assassinated. One of her sisters died in a plane crash. Another of her sisters was lobotomized irresponsibly and was rendered mentally handicapped for the duration of her life.
Patricia Kennedy Lawford was born on May 6, 1924. She was born in Brookline, Massachusetts and was part of a family very dear to the heart of Boston. They would eventually move to New York, maintaining homes in Massachusetts, but Patricia was much more of a New Yorker later in life than a Bostonian. During her youth, she attended convent schools like her older sister Rosemary but fared much better in them. She attended one in London while her father worked there and another in Bronxville, New York when her family moved there. This sort of education is hardly surprising. Her family was staunchly Catholic, even going so far as to denounce Patricia's sister Kathleen's marriage to an Anglican.
Patricia is said to have been a bright student. She finished her early studies and went on to attend the Rosemont College in Pennsylvania. While in college, Patricia developed a love for theater. This was no unique for her family. While the Kennedys tended to be on the business end of show business, they did have their hands in the industry. This connection was furthered by Patricia's career as a show business assistant and later her marriage to Peter Lawford. To this day, the Kennedys and their descendants tend to mingle in Hollywood society.
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