Teddy's Last Indulgences

Because he knew the end was coming, Ted Kennedy spent his final days enjoying a few last pleasures. The Independent reports that he ate ice cream—preferably mocha chip and butter crunch mixed together—and watched James Bond movies plus episodes of 24. He enjoyed the sea air and being at home with family and friends. During a string of dinner parties his wife Vicki organized for him in late July, he sang dinner table duets like "You Are My Sunshine" and "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." Although he spent recent weeks in a wheelchair, unable to walk, Kennedy made it out of the bed every day except Tuesday, the day he died. Bill Delahunt, a Democratic congressman from the Hyannis district, said Kennedy had "a fierce determination to live," but wasn't "afraid to die." Delahunt said Kennedy looked forward to a reunion with his brothers to tell them, "I did it; I carried the torch. I carried it all the way."