American philanthropist, wife of politicians Republican Senator John Heinz and Democratic Senator John Forbes Kerry. She is the heiress to the Heinz fortune and in charge of the Heinz philanthropies.
Heinz Kerry spent her early childhood in Mozambique where her father, a physician, ran a clinic. She accompanied him on his calls into the bush to treat the poor and credits him with teaching her “how to be a human being in society.” As a young woman from a privileged background, she was sent to schools in Switzerland. In 1960, she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in romance languages and literature at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, 1960. With fluency in five languages, she graduated from the Interpreters School of the University of Geneva three years later in 1963. There in 1962 while working as an interpreter for the United Nations in Geneva, she met the dashing John Heinz and fell in love. That same year, her only sister died in a car crash in Portugal.
In 1966, she married Heinz, a scion of Heinz ketchup company founders and future Republican Senator. Together they experienced the sadness of three miscarriages and the joy of their three sons. When Senator Heinz died in a plane crash on April 4, 1991, she was distraught. Turning down an opportunity to take his Senate seat, she instead became the head of the Howard Heinz Endowment and Heinz Family Philanthropies worth about $1.3 billion in 2003. She pledged not to use her personal $500 million inheritance for her second husband’s presidential campaign except in the event of “character assassination.”
It was her first husband John Heinz who introduced her to John Kerry in 1990. After Heinz died, she reconnected with Kerry at a 1992 environmental meeting and, with many common interests, their relationship grew strong. They married on May 26, 1995. A registered Republican, she switched her party allegiance in 2003 after Kerry announced his bid for US President. The presidential hopeful has called his wife, “sexy, saucy and brilliant.” She was named one of UTNE Reader’s 100 Visionaries in 1995.
Described as unconventional and outspoken, she has long been a social activist, working hard on behalf of the environment and women’s issues. On July 29, 2004, she spoke before the Democratic National Convention to introduce her husband to the delegates. Instead of touting his strengths and presidential qualities as the pundits had predicted she would do, she instead addressed criticism about her bluntness and spoke on behalf of the issues she advocates: “My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called ‘opinionated’ is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish. My only hope is that, one day soon, women who have all earned the right to their opinions — instead of being called ‘opinionated’ will be called smart and well-informed, just like men.” The audience erupted into applause. If she becomes First Lady, she intends to continue leading the Heinz philanthropies and speaking her mind.
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