Kyle Kennedy’s ex-husband Liam Kerr has been named in her obituary following her death at 42.
Kerr, a Massachusetts political strategist, was referred to as her “former husband” and “ex-husband” in the memorial notice for the disability advocate and educator, who died at her Westwood, Massachusetts home on September 21. News of her passing was announced on Tuesday, October 20. The couple had wed in August 2012 at Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza in a high-profile ceremony.
The pair raised two sons together, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10. Their daughter Josephine, Conor’s twin, 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 in the online obituary.
Kerr was born and raised in Massachusetts. From 2012 to 2016 he served as state director of Democrats for Education Reform, a Democratic Party organization focused on educational accountability and funding equity. He later turned to political research, co-founding the Welcome PAC committee from 2017 to 2021 to support left-leaning Democrats in competitive districts. In 2014 he also co-founded the Boston Olympic Resistance, a volunteer movement that successfully campaigned against the city’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics over cost concerns.
Kyle suffered an undisclosed spinal cord injury in 2020 that resulted in partial paralysis and disability. Despite this, she became known for her advocacy work, testifying at the Massachusetts State House against disability discrimination and working to change attitudes toward disability.
“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,” her obituary stated.
Born in Washington DC and raised in Cohasset, Massachusetts, Kyle was only 13 when her father, Michael Kennedy, died in a skiing accident on New Year’s Eve 1997 in Aspen, Colorado. She majored in history at Georgetown University after attending Milton Academy, and later earned master’s degrees from Pace University and Harvard University.
Her career centered on early education, beginning with Teach for America in New York before she advocated for charter schooling and equitable elementary education. She ran the 2019 Boston Marathon, finishing 20 minutes ahead of her late father’s time despite heavy rain.
The couple’s divorce was reported in October 2026, according to the source material. Kerr’s work in education reform and Democratic politics had overlapped with Kyle’s own advocacy during their marriage, though the obituary’s reference to him as her former husband underscores the separation that preceded her death.
Kyle’s obituary emphasized her commitment to educational reform for disadvantaged children and people living with disabilities, causes she pursued alongside her devotion to her surviving sons. Her family noted she would be remembered for both her professional advocacy and her personal resilience following the 2020 injury that changed her life.
She leaves behind Conor and Declan, having spent her final years campaigning for disability rights after her paralysis.