Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, dies at 42

Kyle Kennedy, a granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, has died at the age of 42, according to an obituary from Burke Funeral Homes. The news became public on 20 October 2026. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/10/20/kyle-kennedy-death-robert-f-kennedy-granddaughter-spinal-cord-injury/92344522007/)

Kennedy died on 21 September at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts; her funeral services were private. A death certificate obtained by PEOPLE lists her immediate cause of death as “pending” and states her manner of death is under investigation, so no cause has been established. (https://people.com/kyle-kennedy-cause-of-death-is-pending-12184281)

She was the daughter of Michael Kennedy, who died in 1997, and Victoria Gifford, and one of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s 34 grandchildren. In 2020 she suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left her with long-term paralysis; she went on to advocate for people living with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts State House in a hearing on discrimination in disabled health care. (https://people.com/kyle-kennedy-cause-of-death-is-pending-12184281)

An educator by training, she earned a history degree at Georgetown University, a master’s in early education at Pace University and a master’s in education policy and management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and taught in New York City through Teach for America. (https://ew.com/kyle-kennedy-kathie-lee-gifford-step-granddaughter-dead-12184308)

She is survived by her sons Conor, 12, and Declan, 10, her mother Victoria, her brother Michael and her sister Rory. Her daughter Josie, Conor’s twin, died days after birth. (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/10/20/kyle-kennedy-death-robert-f-kennedy-granddaughter-spinal-cord-injury/92344522007/)