Kyle Francis Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died Sept. 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. She was 42.
A cause of death was not listed, but she died “peacefully,” according to her obituary.
Ms. Kennedy became a disability rights advocate after suffering a severe spinal cord injury in 2020 that caused “long term paralysis, disability, and other medical challenges,” her obituary states. She was previously an avid runner who completed the 2019 Boston Marathon.
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“The years that followed brought struggles but Kyle fought to maintain her dry wit and determination through it all, trying to be the best possible mother to her sons and caring for her two beloved, ill-behaved Wheaten terriers,” her obituary reads.
Born on July 6, 1984, in Washington, she was the daughter of Michael L. Kennedy and Victoria Denise Gifford and one of the 34 grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy.
Ms. Kennedy earned degrees from Georgetown University, Pace University and Harvard University.
She began her career with Teach For America, teaching for two years in New York City public schools, and later worked with education technology companies and coached educators.
She married Liam Kerr in 2012, but the couple later divorced. She had three children: sons Conor and Declan, and Josephine, Conor’s twin, who died days after birth.
“Blessed with a formidable intellect, dry wit, and beauty, she will be remembered for her devotion to her children Conor, Josephine, and Declan, and her support for educational reform for disadvantaged children and for people living with disabilities,” her obituary reads.
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