Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, has died at 42
Kyle Francis Kennedy, an educator and one of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy's 34 grandchildren, died on 21 September at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, according to an obituary published by a funeral home. Her cause of death is listed as pending.
Kyle Francis Kennedy, a granddaughter of former US Attorney General and senator Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel, has died at the age of 42. Her death became public on Tuesday, 20 October, after TMZ, the Boston Globe, PEOPLE and other US outlets reported on an obituary posted by Burke Funeral Homes. According to the notice, she 'passed away peacefully' on 21 September 2026 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts.
No cause of death has been announced. A death certificate obtained by PEOPLE lists the cause as 'pending' and says the manner of death is under investigation. The obituary notes that in 2020 she suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left her with long-term paralysis and other medical problems, and that in the years that followed she began advocating for people living with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts State House on discrimination in health care.
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1984, Kyle Kennedy was the daughter of Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, who died in a skiing accident in 1997, and Victoria Gifford, daughter of the late sportscaster Frank Gifford. She studied history at Georgetown University, earned master's degrees from Pace University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, taught in New York City public schools with Teach for America and spent her career in early childhood education and school reform. In 2019 she ran the Boston Marathon. She is survived by her two sons, her mother, her brother and her sister; the family has not made any further public statement.