Kara Kennedy, Eleanor Poling

In a grim coincidence, two daughters of distinguished Democratic politicians died Sept. 17, both at 51. Though Kennedy, above left, the eldest child of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and Poling, above right, the middle child of Vice President Walter Mondale, lived parallel lives, their personalities were as different as could be. Kennedy, who died of a heart attack after years of battling lung cancer, was private and shy, working behind the scenes as a filmmaker and as a board member for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Poling, who died of brain cancer, preferred a more public presence. She dabbled in radio hosting and broadcast journalism, played small parts on shows like Three’s Company and Dynasty and reportedly romanced Warren Zevon and Arnold Schwarzenegger.