Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, has died. She was 42 years old.
Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy’s son Michael L. Kennedy, died Sept. 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, according to an obituary from Burke Funeral Homes. His funeral was private.
The cause of death has not been revealed, but Kennedy struggled with numerous health issues after suffering a severe spinal cord injury in 2020, which resulted in “long-term paralysis, disability and other medical problems,” according to the death announcement.
“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,” Kennedy’s obituary read. “She also began advocating for people with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts State House during a hearing on discrimination in health care for people with disabilities.”
Kyle Kennedy speaks on stage at the 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards in New York on December 12, 2018.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center for comment.
Kennedy’s father, lawyer and businessman Michael L. Kennedy, died in 1997 in a skiing accident at Aspen Mountain, Colorado. His grandfather, Democratic politician and New York senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968 following a shooting at a Los Angeles hotel.
Kennedy’s daughter Josie, the fraternal twin of his 12-year-old son Conor, died days after birth.
Kennedy is survived by his sons, Conor and Declan, 10; her former husband, Liam; his mother, Victoria; his brother, Michael; and his sister, Rory.
This story is developing.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Kyle Kennedy, Granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Dies at 42
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