Kyle Francis Kennedy, an educator and granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, died last month from a severe spinal cord injury that led to long-term paralysis and years of medical problems, a Massachusetts funeral home said.
She was 42 years old.
Kennedy “died peacefully” on September 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, according to an obituary from Burke Funeral Homes. The cause of his death has not been announced.
She “built a career devoted to early childhood education,” the obituary said.
“Blessed with formidable intelligence, dry wit and beauty, she will be remembered for her devotion to her children Conor, Josephine and Declan, and for her support of educational reform for disadvantaged children and people with disabilities.”
Kennedy grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts, and attended the prestigious Milton Academy before enrolling at Georgetown University.
She spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, which “left a lasting mark” and gave her “a deep love of Tuscan Renaissance art and a lifelong talent for making pasta dishes from scratch,” the obituary said.
She earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from Pace University and another master’s degree in educational policy from Harvard.
Kennedy spent two years in the Teach for America program, working in the New York City public school system, “an experience that launched a career in education,” according to his obituary.
“She later became a passionate advocate for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling, later working with technology companies focused on curriculum reform and improvement, and as a coach for educators working with young students,” the obituary said.
Kennedy was the daughter of Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, the sixth child of RFK and Ethel Kennedy.
Michael LeMoyne Kennedy was only 39 years old when he was fatally injured on December 31, 1997, in Colorado, when he crashed into a tree while playing ski football on an icy slope in Aspen.
Like many members of his famous family, Kyle Kennedy loved the outdoors and sports. She competed in the 2019 Boston Marathon, under her married name, Kyle Kerr.
But she spent the last years of her life unable to walk.
“In 2020, Kyle suffered a severe spinal cord injury that led to long-term paralysis, disability and other medical problems,” the obituary said. “The years that followed were difficult, but Kyle fought to maintain her dry wit and determination through it all, trying to be the best mother possible to her sons and caring for her two beloved, ill-behaved Wheaten terriers.”
It has not been revealed how Kennedy suffered this traumatic 2020 injury.
“She also began advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts State House during a hearing on discrimination in disability health care,” the funeral home added.
Kennedy is survived by his sons, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10; her ex-husband, Liam Kerr; his mother, Victoria Denise Gifford; his brother, Michael LeMoyne Kennedy Jr.; and his sister, Rory Gifford Kennedy.
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