4-(K 11,41t1tr.1 A/02 —}1.4. L Ckc,16:1 ii L4 /I exact number of votes JFK got in each election. On Nov. 22, 1963, Powers was riding in the presidential motor- cade in Dallas when Kennedy was shot. When the president's limousine reached Parkland Hos- vave Powers, Kennedy aide and pital, Powers helped remove Camelot defender, dies at 85 Kennedy and put him on a stretcher. By AUSON FITZGERALD That afternoon he accompa- Associated Press nied Jacqueline Kennedy back to Washington, next to the casket BOSTON — Dave Powers, the on Air Force One. Boston Irishman who was John 'FoWers tecalled the trip back F. Kennedy's famously devoted aide every step of the way to the to Washington in an article for White House and served after Life magazine. JFK's assassination as the keep- "On that long, sad ride home, er of the Camelot legend, died Jackie sat next to the casket. She Friday, March 27, 1998, at 86, was so brave on the trip back to 'Powers came to be known as Washington. At one point she Kennedy's "coatholder" and 'San- turned to me and said, `Oh, Dave, cho Panze" because he spent his you've been with him all these life tending to,JFK'S censer: his years. What will you do now?'" widow and children, and finally recalled Powers. "I choked up - I his legacy, as curator of the John couldn't answer her." F. Kennedy Library museum. In "Johnny, We Hardly Knew "Jack loved Dave Powers like Ye," the book Powers wrote with a brother, and so did all of us in Kennedy appointment secretary Kenneth P. O'Donnell in 1972. the Kennedy family. Jack the writers recalled Powers was couldn't have had the New Fron- so upset he "drew the priest aside tier without him, and we will when they were leaving the trau- miss him very much," Sen. ma room and asked Father Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., Huber to hear his confession. He said in a statement. thought he was having a heart The man who called himself attack." "just a newsboy who met a presi- Following the assassination, dent" had been sought out by the Kennedy's widow sought solace wealthy Kennedys in the early for her son by having Powers days of JFK's political career come to her house in Georgetown because he was closely connected every day for lunch with John F. to Boston's blue-collar Irish- Kennedy Jr. American families. "Dave Powers was a loyal and The child of Irish immigrants, devoted friend whom my mother Powers had an Irish-Catholic and father adored," said JFK's upbringing in the Charlestown daughter Caroline Kennedy, section of Boston. He hawked President of the Kennedy Library newspapers on the waterfront, Foundation. "I will always be spent Sundays at the church grateful for his personal kindness assisting at five Masses, and and for his tireless efforts on knew everyone in the neighbor- behalf of the Kennedy Library' hood. Powers went on to help in for- Because of that, a campaign mer Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's worker directed Kennedy to Pow- campaigns. He also began work ers' door when the future presi- dent was campaigning for assembling records and memora- bilia for the JFK Library in 1964. Congress in 1946. Powers had He served as its museum curator been supporting the rival candi- from its opening in 1979 until he date, but he was so taken by the retired in 1994. young Kennedy that he changed In 1976, JFK's legacy came camps forever. under serious fire when Judith Powers initiated JFK into the Campbell Exner claimed that she rough and tumble of Boston cam- had been both Kennedy's White paigning and in how to deal with House mistress and the girlfriend the ordinary folk of the city. At of a Chicago mobster and that one rally, ho persuaded Kennedy Powers had arranged meetings to improve the impact of a high- between her and the president. toned speech by emphasizing Powers denied knowing Exner that his parents were natives of and once said "the only Campbell the district. I know is chunky vegetable In later years, Powers traveled tent in the White House. soup.' thousands of miles with Kennedy Powers served as an unofficial Powers served in the Army Air on various campaigns and mis- greeter at White House functions Force in China, Burma and India sions. and as a full-time friend to the during World War II. Before After Kennedy was elected president in 1960, the man who president. going into politics, he worked in called himself a "three-decker Kennedy, he said, "was the publishing and was director of Irishman," referring to the hous- geatest man I ever met and the the Boston Housing Authority's es of Boston's Irish-American best friend I ever had." recreation department in South enclaves, became a special assis- "Powers, a leprechaun-like Boston. He later became a mem- figure with twinkly eyes, was ber of the State Housing Board. known for his humor and his Powers died at a hospital in is toward those with suburban Arlington. lofty titles. He once told the visit- He is survived by his wife, Jo, ing shah of Iran, "I want you to a son, two daughters and three kiow you're my kind of shah." grandchildren. Friends said Powers remem- Funeral arrangements were bered all of Kennedy's campaigns incomplete. so well he could rattle off the -2Q-4 0.xc 411' Dvarve' Powers-,4FICa Loyal Aide THE ASSOCIATED PRESS came a special assistant in the White House. He Boston — Dave Powers, the Boston Irishman who served as an unofficial greeter at White House func- was John F. Kennedy's famously devoted aide every tions and as a full-time friend to the president. Ken- step of the way to the White House and served after nedy, he said, "was the greatest man I ever met and JFK's assassination as the keeper of the Camelot leg- the best friend I ever had." end, died Friday at 85. On Nov. 22, 1963, Mr. Powers was riding in the Mr. Powers came to be known as Kennedy's "coat- presidential motorcade in Dallas when Kennedy was holder" and "Sancho Panza" because he spent his life shot. When the president's limousine reached Park- tending to JFK's career, his widow and children, and land Hospital, Mr. Powers helped remove Kennedy finally his legacy, as curator of the John F. Kennedy and put him on a stretcher. That afternoon he accom- Library museum. panied Jacqueline Kennedy back to Washington, next "Jack loved Dave Powers like a brother, and so did to the casket on Air Force One. He recalled the trip in all of us in the Kennedy family," Sen. Edward M. an article for Life magazine. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said in a statement. "On that long, sad ride home, Jackie sat next to the The child of Irish immigrants, Mr. Powers had an casket. She was so brave on the trip back to Washing- Irish-Catholic upbringing in the Charlestown section ton. At one point she turned to me and said, 'Oh, of Boston. He knew everyone in the neighborhood. Dave, you've been with him all these years. What will Because of that, a campaign worker directed Kennedy you do now?' " recalled Mr. Powers. "I choked up — I to Mr. Powers' door when Kennedy was campaigning couldn't answfr her." for Congress in 1946. Mr. Powers had been support- Mr. Powers served in the Army Air Force in China, ing the rival candidate, but he was so taken by Kenne- Burma and India during World War II. dy that he changed camps. He died at a hospital in suburban Arlington. He is In later years, Mr. Powers traveled thousands Of-- - survived by his wife, Jo, a son, two daughters and miles with Kennedy on campaigns and missions. three grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were in- After Kennedy was elected president in 1960, he be- complete. Funeral Services for Kenhedy Aide Dave Powers REUTERS Members of the Kennedy family, in- Boston — The Kennedy clan gathered cluding the president's children, John yesterday to remember the "keeper of Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy the flame," Mr. Dave Powers, a former Schlossberg, and Rep. Joseph Kennedy aide to President John F. Kennedy. and his wife Beth, joined about 250 Mr. Powers, the first curator to the mourners at St. Catherine of Siena late president's library in Boston, died Church in Charlestown. last week at age 85 from heart disease Mr. Powers was an unemployed veter- complications. an living with his widowed sister and her In a eulogy at a closed funeral in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown, 10 children when he first met Kennedy Sen. Edward Kennedy said Mr. Powers after World War II. /1/ was "like a brother, a close friend and The man who would become president adviser who will be deeply missed." was looking for help in running his first He added, "In a very real sense, Jack's political campaign for the House of Re- library became Dave's library too. The presentatives. torch may have beeti'passed but Dave Mr. Powers signed on and campaigned Powers was always the keeper of the with Kennedy in every political contest. flame. When Kennedy won the presidency, Mr. Powers went to Washington as his special assistant. rr It was Mr. Pow- ers who was instru- mental in making arrangements for Kennedy's state fu- neral after the as- sassination in No- vember, 1963.