Kyle Kennedy, Granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Dies at 42
An advocate for education reform and disability rights, Kennedy lived most of her life in Massachusetts.
Kyle Francis Kennedy, a granddaughter of assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died on Sept. 21. She was 42.
Kennedy, who lived primarily in Massachusetts, was an advocate for education reform and disability rights. After graduating from college, she joined Teach for America and worked as a teacher in New York City. She later focused on education advocacy, collaborating with technology companies on improving school curricula.
According to her family, Kennedy developed a passion for running, completing the Boston Marathon in 2019. However, a year later, she sustained a severe spinal cord injury that led to long-term paralysis. Following her injury, she became an advocate for individuals with disabilities, including testifying before the Massachusetts legislature on healthcare discrimination.
Kennedy's father, Michael Kennedy, died in a skiing accident in 1997 at age 39. Her grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968. Her great-uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963.
A cause of death was not immediately announced.