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A Letter from Barbara Walters

Eunice Shriver; Barbara Walters remembers.

Eunice made me water ski in the waters of Cape Cod which I hated. That was many years ago when she and Sarge invited me over the course of several summers to visit in Hyannisport. Yes, I hated the water skiing but I loved Eunice and her family...Sarge, those handsome sons and the adorable Maria. Eunice never stopped teasing me about my lack of athletic abilities and I never stopped being crazy about her.

I have another reason for loving Eunice. Like her, I also had a sister who was as a child diagnosed as "mentally retarded." She lived a difficult and isolated life. It was Eunice, with her founding of the Special Olympics, who gave people like my sister a chance to thrive and be proud. This is her great legacy.

Eunice has courage, humor, and integrity. It has been said that had Eunice been a man, she would have been president of the United States. I would have been first in line to vote for her.