What happened to Michael Kennedy? Kyle Kennedy was 13 when her father died

Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died at 42.

Kennedy’s obituary noted that she “passed away peacefully” on 21 September at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. Her cause of death is still pending, the Westwood Town Clerk has told media outlets like People and The Guardian.

Born as Kyle Frances Kennedy, she was the daughter of Michael LeMoyne Kennedy and Victoria Denise Gifford Kennedy. She was predeceased by her father, who died on December 31, 1997, at the age of 39, after suffering fatal head and neck trauma from hitting a tree while skiing in Aspen, Colorado. He was the sixth child of Robert F. Kennedy’s 11 children.

She spent most of her life in Massachusetts and built a career in early childhood education. She is said to have suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 2020 that resulted in long-term paralysis, disability and other medical challenges.

Continue to read for more details.

Everything you need to know about Kyle Kennedy’s family amidst her death

Kyle Kennedy was an educator who focused on early childhood education and educational equity. She started as a Teach For America teacher in New York City, advocating for charter schools and coaching young student educators.

Kennedy spent most of her early life in Massachusetts before attending Georgetown University. She continued her studies at Pace University and Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Her obituary noted that Kyle Kennedy was also a passionate advocate for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling. It said:

“After college, Kyle joined Teach for America and taught for two years in the New York City public school system, an experience that launched a career in education… She went on to become a passionate advocate for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling, later working with technology companies focused on reforming and improving school curricula, and as a coach for educators working with young students.”

She was also an avid long-distance runner and completed the 2019 Boston Marathon in heavy rain, finishing about 20 minutes faster than her father’s previous time.

Kennedy also loved Tuscan Renaissance art and enjoyed making pasta from scratch. After suffering a spinal cord injury, she became an advocate for people living with disabilities and testified at the Massachusetts State House in a hearing on discrimination in healthcare for people with disabilities.

Kyle Kennedy was born on July 6, 1984, to Michael LeMoyne Kennedy and Victoria Denise Gifford Kennedy (the daughter of former NFL player Frank Gifford and stepdaughter of Kathie Lee Gifford).

She was only 13 years old when her father died in 1997. Her mother raised her and her siblings as a single parent. Kennedy had two siblings: her older brother, Michael Kennedy Jr., who was born in 1983, and a sister named Rory Kennedy, who was three years younger than her.

Kennedy was married to Liam Kerr. They tied the knot in August 2012 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, and later divorced. The couple welcomed three children together: Conor, Josephine and Declan. Sadly, their daughter, Josephine (who was a twin to Conor), died just days after her birth.

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In her final years, Kyle Kennedy advocated for people living with disabilities at the Massachusetts State House. She is survived by her sons, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10; her former husband, Liam Kerr; and her mother, Victoria. The list of survivors also includes Kennedy's brother Michael and his wife, Mary, and their children, McKie and Quinn; and her sister Rory and her husband, David, and their children, Jack and Caleb.

Kyle Kennedy’s life was marked by family losses common to the Kennedy family history, including her grandfather’s assassination in 1968 and the early death of her infant daughter. She largely maintained a private life, focusing on education, her family and advocacy for disability.

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