Several local lives crossed paths with late Senator Kennedy
Story Created:
Aug 26, 2009 at 3:38 PM EST
Story Updated:
Aug 26, 2009 at 4:54 PM EST
(WKTV) - Several local people crossed paths with late Senator Edward Kennedy.
Those who knew him both on a personal and political level agree on one thing; for someone who hailed from what many consider the equivalent of American royalty, Kennedy was a pretty unassuming man.
"Just like a regular guy. There was nothing he did--wasn't pretentious in any way shape or form; not to me he wasn't," said Ed Lavin, of South Utica.
Lavin worked on Bobby Kennedy's campaigns and got to know the entire family. He says the late Senator was as sharp as he was down-to-earth.
"He's one of the smartest senators. He knows the store upside down, backwards, forwards you name it."
Bart Tuttle lives in New Hartford. His family knew the Kennedy's well; Senator Ted Kennedy eulogized his uncle, Walter Sheridan, at his funeral in Georgetown. Tuttle remembers many summers at Kennedy's Bethesda, Maryland home.
"Used to go swimming at his house in the summertime when we'd go down to Bethesda go visit my relatives. He'd always let us use the house when they weren't around," said Tuttle, who agrees; Kennedy was very unassuming.
"Pretty down to earth guy, when I met him I was a teenager so I'm going way back a few years ago probably last time I saw him 10 years ago."
Ed Lavin says that, while Kennedy might have had a much more privileged upbringing than most Americans, he considered everyone equal.
"And Ted Kennedy didn't care what your station in life was; he actually felt that you, me, everybody else should have the same rights."
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