Kyle Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy’s Granddaughter, Dies at 42

Kyle Kennedy, a granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died at age 42 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, on September 21, according to her family’s obituary. The obituary does not state a cause or manner of death. Kennedy was the daughter of Michael Kennedy and Victoria Denise Gifford. Her father, one of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children, died in a skiing accident in 1997, when Kyle was 13. She was also a granddaughter of broadcaster and former NFL player Frank Gifford through her mother. Her family said Kennedy devoted her career to education, including work focused on early childhood learning and expanding access to schooling for disadvantaged children. After graduating from Georgetown University, she began teaching through Teach For America. She later earned graduate degrees from Pace University and Harvard University, according to her obituary. In 2020, Kennedy sustained a severe spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed. Her family said she later advocated for people with disabilities, including by testifying at a Massachusetts State House hearing on discrimination in disability health care. The obituary also described her continued efforts to...