Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy (January 7, 1966 – July 16, 1999) was an American publicist for Calvin Klein.

After her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., Bessette-Kennedy's relationship with her husband and her fashion sense became the subjects of media scrutiny, drawing comparisons to her mother-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Bessette was born January 7, 1966 in White Plains, New York, the youngest child of William J. Bessette (1937-2014), an engineer, and Anne Marie (née Messina; 1939-2007), an administrator in the New York City public school system.She had two older sisters, twins Lauren and Lisa.

After graduating from high school in 1984, Bessette attended Boston University's School of Education, graduating in 1988 with a degree in elementary education.

While there, she dated John Cullen, star of the school's ice hockey team, who would later play professional hockey in the NHL.

Bessette briefly attempted a modeling career, and hired a professional photographer to take pictures for her portfolio.

Although her modeling career did not prove to be profitable, she did appear on the cover of Boston University's calendar, "The Girls of B.U."

After college and until her marriage to Kennedy, Bessette worked for the American fashion label

Calvin Klein.

During her career there, she went from being a saleswoman at the Chestnut Hill Mall in Newton, Massachusetts, to becoming the director of publicity for the company's flagship store in Manhattan.

While working for Klein in Boston, Bessette was noticed by Susan Sokol, a traveling sales coordinator for the company.

Sokol, impressed with Bessette's grace and style, later recommended her for a position dealing with Klein's high-profile clients, such as actress Annette Bening and newscaster Diane Sawyer.

By the time she left Calvin Klein, she was the director of show productions, earning a salary in the low six figures.

Bessette first met Kennedy in 1992, while he was dating actress Daryl Hannah.

Bessette and Kennedy began dating in 1994 and became a popular paparazzi target, and gossip columns detailed where they ate and shopped, and even covered their public disagreements.

Paparazzi often waited outside the couple's Tribeca apartment to snap photographs.

Bessette was introduced to John's uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, in the late summer of 1994.

Following the marriage, the senator would tell the press: "You could tell right away that there was something special between the two of them."

Bessette moved into Kennedy's Tribeca loft in the summer of 1995, and the couple became engaged later that year.

She quit her job at Calvin Klein in the spring of 1996.

Kennedy and Bessette succeeded in keeping their September 21, 1996, wedding a secret from the press, avoiding media onlookers.

The ceremony took place by candlelight on the remote Georgia island of Cumberland, in a tiny wooden chapel, the First African Baptist Church.

The bride selected the then-little-known designer Narciso Rodriguez of Cerruti for her wedding dress of pearl-white silk crêpe.

The groom's older sister, Caroline Kennedy, was matron of honor, and Anthony Radziwill, the son of his aunt Lee Radziwill-Ross, served as Kennedy's best man.

Caroline Kennedy’s two daughters, Tatiana and Rose, were flower girls, and her son Jack was the ring bearer.

The couple honeymooned in Turkey.

After the wedding, the media attention surrounding the couple intensified, and Bessette-Kennedy often found it difficult to deal with the harassment.

When the couple returned from their honeymoon, a mass of reporters was waiting on their doorstep.

John said, "Getting married is a big adjustment for us, and for a private citizen like Carolyn even more so. I ask you to give her all the privacy and room you can."

The couple, as well as Bessette-Kennedy's older sister, Lauren, died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard on July 16, 1999.

Her paternal family is originally French Canadian being a direct descendant from Jean Basset who arrived in Quebec during the 17th century.

She is also of Lithuanian and Italian descent.

Bessette's parents divorced when she was very young.

Her mother later remarried Richard Freeman, an orthopedic surgeon, and moved to Old Greenwich, Connecticut, while Bessette's father stayed in White Plains.

She attended Juniper Hill Elementary School.

At Juniper Hill, Bessette's mother was a substitute teacher.

Raised in a Roman Catholic household, Bessette later attended St. Mary's High School.

At St. Mary's, Bessette was voted by her classmates the "Ultimate Beautiful Person".

During her high school experience, Bessette was described as being part of the "in crowd" and having attended "all the right parties".

She had initially started high school at Greenwich High School, but her parents transferred her to St. Mary's because they felt she was not taking her studies seriously.