Background
Janet was born on December 3, 1907, in Manhattan, New York City, the middle daughter of James Thomas Lee (October 2, 1877 – January 3, 1968), a lawyer and real estate developer, and Margaret A. Merritt (1878 – February 26, 1943).
Janet was born on December 3, 1907, in Manhattan, New York City, the middle daughter of James Thomas Lee (October 2, 1877 – January 3, 1968), a lawyer and real estate developer, and Margaret A. Merritt (1878 – February 26, 1943).
Vassar College.
She was the mother of former United States First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill. She was the mother-in-law of United States President John F. Kennedy. Her paternal grandfather, Doctor James Lee, was a superintendent of the New York City public school system, although Janet Bouvier preferred to tell people that he was a Maryland-born veteran of the American Civil War.
In fact he was born in New Jersey in 1852, precluding service in that conflict.
Janet had two sisters: Winifred Norton Lee (Mrs Franklin d"Olier) and Marion Norton Lee (Mrs John J Ryan Junior). Lee studied at Sweet Briar College and later at Vassar College, but did not graduate from either institution.
Lee was married three times. Lee died of complications arising from Alzheimer"s disease on July 22, 1989 (her mother-in-law Rose Kennedy"s birthday) in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 81.