(CNN) -- Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and a champion of the disabled who founded the Special Olympics, died Tuesday, the Special Olympics said. She was 88.



Eunice Kennedy Shriver speaks at a dinner in honor of the Special Olympics in July 2006.



Born on July 10, 1921, in Brookline, Massachusetts, Shriver was the fifth of nine children to Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. She emerged from the long shadow of siblings John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as the founder of the Special Olympics, which started as a summer day camp in her backyard in 1962.



Today, 3.1 million people with mental disabilities participate in 228 programs in 170 nations, according to the Special Olympics.



"She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others," the Shriver family said Tuesday in a statement.



"For each of us, she often seemed to stop time itself -- to run another Special Olympics Games, to visit us in our homes, to attend to her own mother, her sisters and brothers, and to sail, tell stories, and laugh and serve her friends."



No final decision has been made on funeral arrangements, a source close to the family said.



Shriver's husband, R. Sargent Shriver, and her five children and their spouses and all of her 19 grandchildren were with her when she died, the Special Olympics said in a statement.  Watch a look at Eunice Kennedy Shriver's life »



"We are tremendously grateful for the extreme outpouring of support and prayer from the public as we honor our beloved founder," Brady Lum, Special Olympics president and chief operating officer, said in a statement Tuesday.



"Today we celebrate the life of a woman who had the vision to create our movement. It is an enormous loss, but I know we can rest assured that her legacy will live on through her family, friends, and the millions of people around the world who she touched and transformed."



Even before launching the Special Olympics in 1968, Shriver had established a reputation as an advocate for the disenfranchised and a trailblazer for the rights of the disabled through a variety of roles in the private and public sector.



She also persuaded the Kennedy family to go public with one of its most guarded secrets. In September 1962, Shriver wrote an article about her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary, which was published in The Saturday Evening Post.



At an event honoring her in 2007, Shriver spoke of her life: "Most people believe I spent my whole life really interested in only one thing and that one thing is working to make the world a better place for people with intellectual disabilities.



"As important as it has been, it is not the whole story of my life. My life is about being lucky as a child to be raised by parents who loved me and made me believe in possibilities. It is also about being lucky to have had these extraordinary children. ... It is also about being especially lucky to have a wonderful husband."  Watch Shriver reflect on her life »



At the same event, Edward Kennedy paid tribute to his sister, saying she had inherited the best qualities from his parents, including compassion.



"She had that sense no one should be left out or left behind. She picked this up, obviously, at a very early age. All of us could see that special relationship that Eunice had with Rosemary."



After receiving a degree in sociology from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, Shriver worked for the U.S. State Department in the Special War Problems Division from 1943 to 1945, helping former prisoners of war readjust to civilian life.



From 1947 to 1948, she worked for $1 at the Department of Justice as executive secretary for the National Conference on Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency.  See highlights of Shriver's public and private life »
( CNN ) -- Eunice Kennedy Shriver , the sister of President John F. Kennedy and a champion of the disabled who founded the Special Olympics , died Tuesday , the Special Olympics said . She was 88 . Eunice Kennedy Shriver speaks at a dinner in honor of the Special Olympics in July 2006 . Born on July 10 , 1921 , in Brookline , Massachusetts , Shriver was the fifth of nine children to Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy . She emerged from the long shadow of siblings John F. Kennedy , Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as the founder of the Special Olympics , which started as a summer day camp in her backyard in 1962 . Today , 3.1 million people with mental disabilities participate in 228 programs in 170 nations , according to the Special Olympics . " She was the light of our lives , a mother , wife , grandmother , sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith - driven life of love and service to others , " the Shriver family said Tuesday in a statement . " For each of us , she often seemed to stop time itself -- to run another Special Olympics Games , to visit us in our homes , to attend to her own mother , her sisters and brothers , and to sail , tell stories , and laugh and serve her friends . " No final decision has been made on funeral arrangements , a source close to the family said . Shriver 's husband , R. Sargent Shriver , and her five children and their spouses and all of her 19 grandchildren were with her when she died , the Special Olympics said in a statement . Watch a look at Eunice Kennedy Shriver 's life » " We are tremendously grateful for the extreme outpouring of support and prayer from the public as we honor our beloved founder , " Brady Lum , Special Olympics president and chief operating officer , said in a statement Tuesday . " Today we celebrate the life of a woman who had the vision to create our movement . It is an enormous loss , but I know we can rest assured that her legacy will live on through her family , friends , and the millions of people around the world who she touched and transformed . " Even before launching the Special Olympics in 1968 , Shriver had established a reputation as an advocate for the disenfranchised and a trailblazer for the rights of the disabled through a variety of roles in the private and public sector . She also persuaded the Kennedy family to go public with one of its most guarded secrets . In September 1962 , Shriver wrote an article about her mentally disabled sister , Rosemary , which was published in The Saturday Evening Post . At an event honoring her in 2007 , Shriver spoke of her life : " Most people believe I spent my whole life really interested in only one thing and that one thing is working to make the world a better place for people with intellectual disabilities . " As important as it has been , it is not the whole story of my life . My life is about being lucky as a child to be raised by parents who loved me and made me believe in possibilities . It is also about being lucky to have had these extraordinary children . ... It is also about being especially lucky to have a wonderful husband . " Watch Shriver reflect on her life » At the same event , Edward Kennedy paid tribute to his sister , saying she had inherited the best qualities from his parents , including compassion . " She had that sense no one should be left out or left behind . She picked this up , obviously , at a very early age . All of us could see that special relationship that Eunice had with Rosemary . " After receiving a degree in sociology from Stanford University in Palo Alto , California , Shriver worked for the U.S. State Department in the Special War Problems Division from 1943 to 1945 , helping former prisoners of war readjust to civilian life . From 1947 to 1948 , she worked for $ 1 at the Department of Justice as executive secretary for the National Conference on Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency . See highlights of Shriver 's public and private life »
Who was Eunice Kennedy Shriver?
Who was Eunice Kennedy Shriver ?
the sister of President John F.
the sister of President John F.