The Two Sets Of 'Last Words': What Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Said And Did In Her Final Moments

The mystery surrounding Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s last words is one of the most enduring historical questions, largely because the woman who lived her life in the public eye chose to face her death in absolute, dignified privacy. As of today, December 18, 2025, there is no single, dramatic, confirmed quote that serves as her final utterance, a fact that speaks volumes about her intensely guarded nature. Instead, her "last words" are understood not as a single spoken phrase, but as a series of profoundly private actions and final sentiments shared only with her closest family in her Fifth Avenue apartment.

The quest for her final quote is often conflated with the widely reported, heart-wrenching words she spoke to her first husband, President John F. Kennedy, in the immediate aftermath of his assassination in 1963. The contrast between these two moments—the public, traumatic loss of a husband versus the private, peaceful passing from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma—provides the most revealing answer to what truly mattered to the former First Lady in her final days.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Biographical Profile

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, known globally as Jackie Kennedy and later as Jackie O, was one of the most iconic and influential women of the 20th century. Her life spanned roles from socialite and First Lady to book editor, all while maintaining an unparalleled aura of style and privacy. The following is a summary of her key biographical details and life entities:

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• Full Name at Birth: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier
• Born: July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York
• Died: May 19, 1994, in New York City, New York (Age 64)
• Cause of Death: Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (diagnosed in early 1994)
• Father: John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier III
• Mother: Janet Norton Lee
• First Husband: John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Married 1953; Died 1963)
• Second Husband: Aristotle Onassis (Married 1968; Died 1975)
• Children: Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr.
• Long-Term Companion (at time of death): Maurice Tempelsman
• Education: Miss Porter's School, Vassar College, The Sorbonne, George Washington University
• Notable Roles: First Lady of the United States (1961–1963), Book Editor at Viking Press and Doubleday
• Burial Place: Arlington National Cemetery, alongside President John F. Kennedy

The Public Words: A Final Declaration of Love to JFK

To understand the silence of her death in 1994, one must first recall the spoken words of her most public trauma in 1963. While the focus of this article is her death as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, her final exchange with President Kennedy is often mistakenly cited as her own last words.

In the tragic moments following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, accounts differ slightly on the exact exchange, but a consistent theme of love and immediate, frantic devotion remains. Biographer Christopher Anderson reported that as President Kennedy lay dying, Jackie leaned over him and whispered, "I love you, Jack. I love you." This phrase, a desperate, final declaration of affection, is the most widely reported sentiment from that harrowing day.

This moment defined her for decades: a woman whose love and grief were witnessed by the entire world. It established a precedent that any final words from her must be equally profound and emotional. However, her life following the assassination became a masterclass in controlled, intense privacy, which she maintained until her final breath.

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The Private Silence: Final Moments at Her Fifth Avenue Home

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in January 1994. She underwent chemotherapy, but by May, the cancer had spread aggressively to her brain and liver, and it was pronounced terminal. The decision she made next was characteristic of her life’s philosophy: she chose to die at home, surrounded by the people she loved most, completely shielded from the press and public scrutiny.

On May 18, 1994, she left New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center for the last time. Her final hours were spent in her luxurious Fifth Avenue apartment overlooking Central Park, a sanctuary she had carefully curated. Her children, Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., along with her companion, diamond merchant Maurice Tempelsman, were by her side.

Reports from those final moments emphasize a sense of quiet dignity and peace. The former First Lady passed away at 10:15 p.m. on May 19, 1994. There was no dramatic final speech, no recorded last quote for the history books. She simply "passed away peacefully," a phrase that underscores the intimate and private nature of her departure.

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It is this silence, this intentional lack of a public final statement, that truly represents her last act. Having been forced to live out her greatest tragedy in the public eye, she reclaimed her final chapter, choosing to communicate her love and farewell through presence rather than words.

The Eulogy and Last Sentiments: Maurice Tempelsman’s Farewell

While Jackie herself offered no final quote, the sentiment of her last days was powerfully captured by her companion, Maurice Tempelsman, who delivered a moving eulogy at her funeral. Tempelsman, who had been a devoted partner and confidant, shared a poem by Greek poet C.P. Cavafy, which he titled "Ithaka." His reading framed her life not as a series of public triumphs and tragedies, but as a journey of wisdom and experience.

More importantly, Tempelsman’s words highlighted her final, most cherished role: that of a loving mother and a woman who valued human connection above all else. He spoke of her "courage, her style, her intelligence," and most poignantly, her "passion for life," which she maintained until the end. This eulogy, delivered in the presence of her children and friends, serves as the closest public record of the final, loving atmosphere that surrounded her deathbed.

The true "last words" of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, therefore, were not a single phrase, but the unspoken message of a life lived on her own terms. She spent her final moments ensuring her children felt her love, a private farewell that contrasted sharply with the devastating public final words she shared with her first husband. She died as she had lived her later years: with grace, control, and an impenetrable shield of privacy.