BOSTON -- With the death of her youngest brother Sen. Edward Kennedy and the recent passing of sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Jean Kennedy Smith is the last surviving child of Rose and Joe Kennedy's nine children.

At 81, she has been a somewhat private figure in a very public family. Those who know her say she is more comfortable in the background than the foreground.

"She's very quiet. I would almost say she's pensive," Kennedy friend Gerard Doherty said.

As the eighth of the nine children of Rose and Joseph P. Kennedy, her mother once said of her youngest daughter "she was born so late that she only was able to enjoy the tragedies and not the triumphs."

Jean's husband, Steven Smith, played an important role in the Kennedy family. He had a head for business and knack for fixing family problems.

Jean Kennedy Smith's low profile was heightened in 1991. Her son, Dr. William Kennedy Smith, one of her four children, was accused of raping a woman at the family estate in Palm Beach.

Sen. Edward Kennedy testified in that trial. Smith was acquitted, and Jean's life soon moved forward in an unexpected way.

During the Clinton administration, Jean was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.

"I am well aware of the deep affection and high regard the people of Ireland have for my family," she said.

"Calling her a proxy or surrogate to Ted is unfair to her because she's her own person. She's really smart and a quick study," said Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe Ireland Correspondent.

Together, Jean and the senator had a direct role in the Irish peace process.