Kyle Kennedy’s death at age 42 was announced in an obituary, which said she died at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, on Sept. 21. Kennedy was the granddaughter of Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Six years before her death, Kennedy suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left her with long-term paralysis. She later advocated for people living with disabilities and testified at the Massachusetts State House during a hearing about discrimination in health care affecting disabled people.
Her career focused on education
Kennedy was born in Washington, D.C., on July 6, 1984, to Michael Kennedy and Victoria Denise Gifford. Her father, a son of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died in a skiing accident in 1997 at age 39.
After attending Milton Academy, Kennedy studied history at Georgetown University. She later earned a Master of Science in Early Education from Pace University and a Master of Education in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
Kennedy began her career as a Teach For America teacher in New York City. Her obituary described her as a “passionate advocate for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling.” She also worked with technology companies seeking to improve school curricula and coached educators who taught young children.
Kennedy is survived by two sons
Kennedy married Liam Kerr in August 2012. The ceremony drew wider attention because her cousin Conor Kennedy attended with Taylor Swift, whom he was dating at the time. The obituary identified Kerr as Kennedy’s former husband.
The couple had three children. Their daughter Josephine, the twin sister of son Conor, died several days after her birth. Kennedy is survived by Conor, 12, and her younger son Declan, 10.
Her other survivors include her mother, Victoria Denise Gifford; her siblings, Michael Kennedy, 43, and Rory Kennedy, 38; and four nieces and nephews. Victoria is the stepdaughter of former Today presenter Kathie Lee Gifford, whose representative did not immediately comment.
