Kyle Kennedy, a granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and niece of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., died on Sept. 21 at age 42, according to multiple reports.
Kennedy was one of 34 grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel Kennedy. She was the daughter of Michael Kennedy, who died in 1997 when he skied into a tree while playing football on skis with other family members, and Victoria Denise Gifford, daughter of Frank Gifford and Maxine Avis Ewart and stepdaughter of Kathie Lee Gifford. Kyle Kennedy was 13 when her father died.
Born July 6, 1984, in Washington, D.C., Kennedy worked as an educator focused on early childhood development and reform for disadvantaged children and people with disabilities. She began her career in New York City as a teacher with Teach For America after college.
PEOPLE reported her death; TMZ reported that her obituary did not disclose a cause or manner of death. Reports note she had suffered long-term paralysis following a severe spinal cord injury in 2020.
In 2019, Kennedy ran the Boston Marathon and beat her late father’s time by 20 minutes. A year later, the spinal cord injury left her paralyzed. She went on to testify before Massachusetts lawmakers about discrimination in healthcare for people with disabilities.
She leaves behind two young sons.
“Kyle Kennedy deserves to be remembered for more than her famous surname,” one person wrote on X. “In 2019, she ran the Boston Marathon and beat her late father’s time by 20 minutes. A year later, a spinal cord injury left her paralyzed.”
“She went on to testify before Massachusetts lawmakers about discrimination in healthcare for people with disabilities. She spent her career helping children through education and leaves behind two young sons.”
Another person wrote online, “How heartbreaking. This family has endured one tragedy after another.”
