Kerry Kennedy remembers niece Kyle Kennedy after her death at 42: ‘A bright light’

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Emlyn TravisWed, October 21, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTC

Kerry Kennedy; Kyle Francis KennedyCredit: Kevin Mazur/Getty; Burke Funeral HomeKey Points -

Kerry Kennedy is mourning the death of her niece, Kyle.

Kyle died Sept. 21 at age 42.

Kerry described her Kyle as “a bright light and gentle spirit.”

Kerry Kennedy is paying tribute to her late niece Kyle Kennedy following her death at 42 last month.

The lawyer and author, 67, remembered Kyle as “a bright light and gentle spirit” in a poignant tribute published on Wednesday.

“Our family is heartbroken by the loss of my dear niece Kyle Francis Kennedy,” Kerry wrote on Facebook. “A bright light and gentle spirit, Kyle was a committed educator and devoted mother to Conor and Declan.”

Kyle Kennedy speaks onstage during the 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards on Dec. 12, 2018Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty

She explained that the family’s “hearts are with her children, her mother Vicki, her brother Michael and sister Rory” following her passing.

“Kyle was the daughter of my beloved late brother Michael and Vicki Gifford Kennedy,” Kerry continued. “May she rest in eternal peace among the angels with her father and daughter Josephine. We love and miss you, Kyle.”

Kyle died at her Westwood, Mass., home on Sept. 21, according to her obituary. The Westwood Town Clerk confirmed to Entertainment Weekly’s sister site PEOPLE that the late educator’s cause of death is still under investigation.

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The granddaughter of Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, Kyle was raised in Washington by parents Michael Kennedy and Victoria Denise Gifford. She studied at Georgetown University before undertaking a Master of Science in early education at Pace University and, later, a Master of Education in education policy and management from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

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Kyle went on to have an esteemed career as an educator, teaching in New York City as part of Teach for America before pivoting to help reform school curricula with multiple different companies.

Kerry Kennedy on April 18, 2024Credit: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty

Her death comes six years after she suffered a serious spinal cord injury in 2020 that resulted in long-term paralysis. “Kyle fought to maintain her dry wit and determination through it all,” her obituary reads. “She also began to advocate for people living with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts state house in a hearing on discrimination in disabled health care.”

Kyle is survived by her two sons, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10, along with her ex-husband Liam and mother Victoria. She is preceded in death by her father Michael and daughter Josephine, who died days after birth.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”