Kyle Kennedy, Granddaughter of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy, Dies at 42

Kyle Kennedy, a granddaughter of Robert F.“Bobby”and Ethel Kennedy, died September 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. She was 42. She’s survived by her sons Conor, 12, and Declan, 10, her mother Victoria Denise Gifford, and her siblings Michael and Rory.

Six years ago, a severe spinal cord injury left Kennedy with long-term paralysis. She kept moving forward, earning degrees from Georgetown, Pace and Harvard before teaching with Teach For America. She also became a vocal advocate for people living with disabilities and pushed for more equitable elementary education and charter schooling. Her commitment to those causes defined the causes she cared about most in her final years.

Kennedy’s father, Michael Kennedy, died in a 1997 skiing accident when she was young, making her death the latest loss in a family history marked by tragedy. For her sons and everyone who followed her work, the question now is how her advocacy carries forward. What’s the best way to honor someone who spent their final years fighting for others? Let us know in the comments.