She was also the mother-in-law of current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Eunice Shriver is survived by her husband R. Sargent Shriver and their five children. A statement by the Special Olympics said that her husband, five children and their spouses, as well as her 19 grandchildren were with her when she died.

'We are tremendously grateful for the extreme outpouring of support and prayer from the public as we honour our beloved founder,' Special Olympics President and Chief Operation Officer Brady Lum said Tuesday in a statement.

'Today we celebrate the life of a woman who had the vision to create our movement. It is an enormous loss, but I know we can rest assured that her legacy will live on through her family, friends, and the millions of people around the world who she touched and transformed,' he added.'