Robert F. Kennedy’s Granddaughter Dies at 42

Michael Loccisano / Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F.

Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, died on September 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, according to her obituary.

She was 42.

The Westwood Town Clerk told People that her cause of death is still pending.

Born in Washington, D.C., in 1984, Kennedy was the daughter of Michael Kennedy—the sixth child of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children—and Victoria Denise Gifford—the daughter of former NFL player and sportscaster Frank Gifford and stepdaughter of Kathie Lee Gifford.

Six years ago, Kennedy sustained a severe spinal cord injury that “resulted in long-term paralysis, disability, and other medical challenges,” her obituary said.

She later became an advocate for people living with disabilities and testified at the Massachusetts State House in a hearing on discrimination in disabled healthcare.

According to her obituary, Kennedy earned an undergraduate degree in history from Georgetown University and then two advanced degrees from Pace University and Harvard.

After graduation, she taught for two years in New York City public schools with Teach For America.

Kennedy advocated for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling.

Kennedy is survived by her sons, 12-year-old Conor and 10-year-old Declan; her former husband, Liam Kerr; her mother, Victoria Gifford; her brother, Michael Kennedy, Jr.; and her sister, Rory Kennedy.

Her father, Michael Kennedy, died in a skiing accident in 1997 at the age of 39.

The Kennedy family has long been dogged by tragedy.

Earlier this year, Ryan Murphy’s Love Story series brought the so-called “Kennedy Curse” back into the public eye by depicting the plane crash that killed John F.