Kitty Dukakis, who died at 88, fought for mental health and addiction recovery throughout her life. Once a political spouse, she became an icon for political advocacy. While she fought fiercely for her causes, she ultimately succumbed to the battle over her health on March 21, 2025, passing away quietly at her Brookline, Massachusetts home with family at her side.
Kitty was born Katharine Dickson in ‘36. Being the daughter of the famed Boston Pops conductor Harry Ellis Dickson gave her a culturally rich upbringing, but Kitty never had intentions of blending into the crowd. Instead, after marrying Michael Dukakis in 1963, she dove into political life headfirst. Kitty sought to reshape the modern role of a wife in politics in America. For her, the life of a first lady came with free oil paints and limitless approval to push past the boundaries crafted by her predecessors. She took over. Kitty did not simply stand beside her husband; she made a name for herself. During her husband’s governorship, Kitty seized the opportunity and propelled herself into political life as an independent force.
She sought to challenge societal norms and removed the mental blockages that people had around sensitive issues. She campaigned against children’s welfare neglect, refugee discrimination, and the severe lack of attention given to reforming mental health. These were not just tasks to be completed, but battles she was willing to go to war for.
Kitty never sugar-coated anything. In a world where sharing your struggles with illnesses such as alcoholism and depression was almost taboo, she did it anyway. The book ‘Now You Know’ is concluusive evidence of those taboos being broken.