Inside the devastating private heartbreak Kyle Kennedy and her ex-husband Liam Kerr suffered before her tragic death

Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s granddaughter Kyle Kennedy died at the age of 42 - it was announced on Tuesday October 20.

The disability advocate and educator is reported to have died at her Westwood, Massachusetts home on September 21, reports The Sun.

Her online obituary said, “She will be remembered for her devotion to her children Conor, Josephine, and Declan, and her support for educational reform for disadvantaged children and for people living with disabilities.”

Following news of her death, we examine who she was.

Who is Kyle Kennedy married to?

Kyle Kennedy wed fellow education advocate and political strategist Liam Kerr in August 2012.

The pair tied the knot in a high-profile ceremony at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza. News of the couple’s divorce was reported in October 2026, with Kyle’s obituary referring to Kerr as her ‘former husband’ and ‘ex-husband’.

Kerr was born and raised in Massachusetts. From 2012 to 2016 he was the state director of Democrats for Education Reform - a Democratic Party organization for the expansion of educational accountability and funding equity.

Kerr turned his focus towards political research from 2017 to 2021, co-founding the Welcome PAC committee for the support of left-leaning Democrats in competitive districts.

In 2014 he co-founded the Boston Olympic Resistance, a volunteer movement which successfully advocated to stop the city’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, citing cost concerns.

Did Kyle Kennedy have children?

They raised two sons together, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10. Their daughter, Conor’s twin, Josephine, died after her birth.

According to Kyle’s obituary, throughout her life she ‘held close’ the memory of her late daughter.

“She will be remembered for her devotion to her children Conor, Josephine, and Declan,” her family said.

She suffered an undisclosed injury to her spinal cord which resulted in her suffering partial paralysis and becoming disabled in 2020.

“Kyle fought to maintain her dry wit and determination through it all, trying to be the best possible mother to her sons and caring for her two beloved, ill-behaved Wheaten terriers,” said her obituary.

Who was Kyle Kennedy?

Kyle was born in Washington DC and grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts.

She was just 13-year-old when her father, Michael Kennedy, died in a skiing accident on New Year’s Eve in 1997 in Aspen, Colorado.

She majored in history at Georgetown University after attending the Milton Academy.

She earned master’s degrees from Pace University and Harvard University.

Kyle’s career centred on early years education, first with the Teach for America program in New York, then she advocated for charter schooling and equitable elementary education.

She also competed in the Boston Marathon in 2019, beating her late father’s time by 20 minutes, despite heavy rain.

After her injury, which led to paralysis, she became known for her work to raise awareness and change attitudes towards disability – she testified at the Massachusetts State House against disability discrimination.