WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died Sept. 21 at her Massachusetts home. She was 42.
  • Her death came six years after a severe spinal cord injury resulted in lasting paralysis.
  • Kennedy advocated for people with disabilities and testified at the Massachusetts State House about discrimination in disabled health care.
  • She is survived by sons Conor and Declan, her mother, two siblings, and four nieces and nephews.

Kyle Kennedy, the daughter of Michael Kennedy and granddaughter of Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died on Sept. 21 at age 42. She died at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, according to her obituary.

The report said Kennedy passed away last month. Her death came six years after she suffered a severe spinal cord injury that resulted in lasting paralysis.

During her final years, Kennedy advocated for people living with disabilities. Her work included testifying at the Massachusetts State House during a hearing concerning discrimination in disabled health care.

That testimony placed Kennedy directly before state lawmakers as she spoke about an issue affecting people with disabilities. It was among the advocacy efforts highlighted in the account of her life following her spinal cord injury.

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Kennedy is survived by her sons, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10. She shared the boys with Liam Kerr, whom she married in August 2012.

Their wedding drew headlines because Kennedy’s cousin Conor Kennedy attended the ceremony with Taylor Swift. Although Kennedy and Kerr wed in 2012, her obituary described Kerr as her “former husband.”

Kennedy and Kerr also welcomed a daughter, Josephine, during their time together. Josephine was Conor’s twin sister, but the infant died only days after her birth.

Along with her two surviving sons, Kennedy leaves two siblings, Michael, 43, and Rory, 38. Her obituary also lists four nieces and nephews among her surviving relatives.

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Kennedy’s mother, Victoria Denise Gifford, also survives her. Gifford is the stepdaughter of Kathie Lee Gifford, the former “Today” show star.

Victoria gave birth to Kennedy on July 6, 1984, in Washington, D.C. At the time, Victoria was married to Michael Kennedy, Kyle’s father.

Michael Kennedy died in a skiing accident in 1997 at age 39. His death came years before his daughter sustained the spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed.

Kennedy attended Milton Academy, which the report identified as a private high school. She later studied history at Georgetown University before continuing her education through two graduate degree programs.

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She earned a Master of Science in Early Education from Pace University. Kennedy also received a Master of Education in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Her academic path included the study of history, early education, education policy, and management. Those programs preceded a professional career focused on teaching, curricula, and support for educators working with children.

After graduating from college, Kennedy worked in New York City as a Teach For America teacher. Her professional work remained centered on elementary education and efforts to improve what and how young students were taught.

The obituary called Kennedy “a passionate advocate for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling.” It also said she worked “with technology companies focused on reforming and improving school curricula.”

Kennedy additionally served as “a coach for educators working with young students,” according to the obituary. That role followed her classroom work and continued the educational focus described throughout the account of her career.

Her work therefore spanned classroom teaching, education technology, curriculum reform and coaching for educators. Her later advocacy added public testimony about discrimination in disabled health care after the injury that caused her paralysis.

The obituary remembers Kennedy through both her family and professional life. It details her surviving children and relatives while also recounting her work in education and advocacy for people living with disabilities.

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