Kennedy Women Who Died Young

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The following article contains mentions of suicide.

The Kennedy family includes some of the most successful women in American history. From Caroline Kennedy — who served as ambassador to both Japan and Australia — to JFK's oldest grandchild, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg — who has blazed a trail of her own in the film world — the Kennedy dynasty has produced some very accomplished individuals. However, while they have garnered a reputation for their tremendous successes, the Kennedys have also gained notoriety for their terrible tragedies. Over the years, the political family has experienced a string of tragic losses — most famously the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. 

Sadly, the men of the Kennedy family are not the only ones to have experienced calamity. The Kennedy women have also faced their fair share of tragedies, ranging from botched lobotomies to shocking plane crashes. Several Kennedy women even died young, with JFK's beloved sister, Kick Kennedy, losing her life more than a decade before his public assassination. While Kick was the first Kennedy woman to experience the so-called "Kennedy curse," she would not be the last. Many more women from the nation's most famous political bloodline lost their lives before their time in heartbreaking circumstances. 

Born Kathleen Kennedy — but known to the world as "Kick" — the Marchioness of Hartington was one of the most rebellious women of her time. During her childhood in the 1930s, her parents, Rose Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., sent her to a series of convent schools in order to encourage her Catholic faith. They eventually hoped to set her up with a husband of the same creed, but Kick defied all expectations by falling in love with one of the most famous Protestants in England, William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington. The two wed in 1944, although they barely had the chance to enjoy their marriage — the marquess tragically died in action as a soldier in WWII later that year.

Sadly, Kick would lose her own life just four years later in 1948. By then, she was referred to as the Dowager Marchioness of Hartington; however, at just 28 years old, she hoped to marry a second time. To her parents' chagrin, Kick was drawn to another Protestant — Peter Fitzwilliam, the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam. The two boarded a flight to France, where they planned to ask Joseph Sr. for permission to wed. Unfortunately, during their flight, the plane crashed and left no survivors. None of the Kennedys attended Kick's funeral, with the exception of her father. In 2012, her namesake — RFK Jr.'s daughter, Kick Kennedy — told Town & Country that, unlike her late great-aunt, "I don't think my parents would ever call my own death divine retribution."

Carolyn Bessett-Kennedy was a publicist and fashionista who had a lasting impact on the Kennedy family's reputation for stylish old money flair. Although she was not born into the family, she married John F. Kennedy's son, John F. Kennedy Jr., in 1996. With John Jr. by her side, Carolyn helped create an aesthetic that simultaneously exuded both wealth and effortlessness. As biographer Sunita Kumar Nair told WWD, "They represented old money and [this famous] family name, but they put their own modern twist on legacy. JFK Jr. would cycle around Manhattan, and Carolyn was a working [girl] before she met him" — she worked for Calvin Klein. Nair went on to applaud Carolyn's elegance, opining, "Carolyn depicted something that women have kind of lost — being glamorous, but in a modern way."

Sadly, both JFK Jr. and Carolyn died on July 16, 1999, in a plane crash. The couple were heading to Martha's Vineyard to drop off Carolyn's sister — she was also aboard the plane when it crashed — before they were expected at Rory Kennedy's nuptials in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. At the time, John Jr. had decided to pilot the aircraft himself. According to a report by the National Transit Safety Board (NTSB), which was later cited in Popular Mechanics, the crash was caused by "the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation." Prior to boarding the aircraft, John Jr. had only completed about half of a course that would have taught him how to use the navigation instruments on the plane. The accident was, thus, determined to have been preventable — making it arguably even more tragic.

Senator Ted Kennedy's oldest daughter, Kara Kennedy Allen, led a busy life. She was a philanthropist who served as director emerita for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and was on the advisory board of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She even produced the WBZ-TV show, "Evening Magazine," until 1990. At home, she mothered two kids, Grace Allen and Max Allen. As if that all wasn't enough, Kara had time to go to her local gym, Sport & Health fitness center in Washington D.C., almost every day to enjoy a workout in the swimming pool. Unfortunately, it was directly following one of these workouts that Kara ultimately died in 2011 at the age of 51.

Commenting on Kara's death, her brother, Patrick Kennedy, told the press that she had struggled significantly following a lung-cancer-related surgery in 2003. Kara had first been diagnosed with the disease back in 2002 and underwent chemotherapy as a result. Although Kara's cancer was in remission at the time of her death, Patrick noted that the cancer treatments "took quite a toll on her and weakened her physically" (per BBC). He went on to say, "Her heart gave out. She's with Dad." Despite Kara's history of health issues, though, other family members said that she didn't exhibit any outward signs of illness immediately before her death. As her mother, Joan Kennedy, told Politico, "She was very healthy. That's why this is such a shock." 

Before he was married to Cheryl Hines, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was married to Mary Richardson Kennedy. During her life, Mary was known for supporting the environment through green architecture. As reported by CNN, the Kennedy family released a statement describing her as "a tremendously gifted architect and a pioneer and relentless advocate of green design who enhanced her cutting edge, energy efficient creations with exquisite taste and style." She was also the mother to four of RFK Jr.'s well-off children: Conor Kennedy, Kyra Kennedy, William Kennedy, and Aiden Kennedy.

Mary died by suicide in 2012 at the age of 52. According to the book, "Ask Not," by biographer Maureen Callahan, Mary did seek mental health support. However, she may not have received the correct diagnosis and corresponding treatment. Per Callahan's research, Mary's therapist once told RFK Jr., "Your wife isn't mentally ill. She is angry and depressed, but she is not ill (via People).

Following a memorial service, Mary was buried in the Kennedy plot. Her siblings disagreed with this arrangement and actually sued the Kennedy family for the right to bury Mary's remains closer to their home in Westchester. The Kennedys won. However, as reported by NBC News at the time, RFK Jr. moved Mary's tomb 700 feet away from the Kennedy plot shortly after. Gravedigger Frank Maki reportedly told the New York Daily News that the reason for the change was a lack of space in the Kennedy family plot.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Mary Richardson Kennedy was not the only member of the Kennedy family to experience mental health challenges. Saoirse Kennedy Hill also dealt with depression for many years. Describing her mental illness in a piece published in her high school newspaper, the Deerfield Scroll, Saoirse wrote, "My depression took root in the beginning of my middle school years and will be with me for the rest of my life. Although I was mostly a happy child, I suffered bouts of deep sadness that felt like a heavy boulder on my chest. These bouts would come and go, but they did not outwardly affect me until I was a new sophomore at Deerfield." This article demonstrated Saoirse's personal commitment to advocating for issues surrounding mental health and wellness. 

Unfortunately, Saoirse passed away in 2019 at the age of 22. Her death certificate, obtained by The Boston Globe, revealed that the young Kennedy had mixed prescription mental health medications with alcohol. The combination ultimately resulted in an overdose, causing her death. Her cousin, Michaela Kennedy Cuomo, remembered Saoirse as incredibly charming and magnetic. "Anyone [whose] path crossed Saoirse's would instantly feel her infectious charisma and fervor for finding joy in every moment," Michaela wrote in the caption of a collection of photos shared on Instagram. "Her beauty, inside and out, lit up every room that she entered. No matter where you were, as long as you were with Saoirse you were going to have a joyful, hilarious adventure."

Maeve Kennedy McKean was a human rights lawyer with an incredible ability to touch people's hearts. During her lifetime, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy inspired friends and colleagues to fight for equality across the board. Maeve was an advocate for immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ+ community. She additionally supported those who had been diagnosed with chronic diseases, including HIV/AIDs. Remembering Maeve in a piece for UNAIDS, one such friend wrote, "She had an almost extrasensory perception of what was needed, especially in delicate moments. She shared her strength, her courage, and in doing so, made difficult things seem possible, doable." The person later added, "Maeve embodied the best qualities of a global humanitarian."

In one of the Kennedy family's most heart-wrenching tragedies, Maeve died in 2020 at the age of 40 alongside her son, 8-year-old Gideon McKean. The pair had decided to go canoeing off the shore of the Chesapeake Bay when they were blown out to sea by powerful winds. Their remains were later found underwater. As reported by the BBC at the time, Maeve's mother, Kathleen Kennedy, expressed her feelings in an emotional written statement that read: "My heart is crushed, yet we shall try to summon the grace of God and what strength we have to honor the hope, energy, and passion that Maeve and Gideon set forth into the world." Following the tragedy, the Kennedy family held a virtual 5K to raise money for some of Maeve and Gideon's favorite charities.

John F. Kennedy's granddaughter, Tatiana Schlossberg, always strove to be extraordinary. As a journalist, she tried to defend the Earth from climate issues. As an athlete, she pushed the bounds of her body's capabilities. In a 2025 essay for the New Yorker, Schlossberg listed off some of her most impressive accomplishments: "I once swam three miles across the Hudson River — eerily, to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I work as an environmental journalist, and for one article, I skied the Birkebeiner, a fifty-kilometre cross-country race in Wisconsin, which took me seven and a half hours." Implicit in this list were all the things that Schlossberg still hoped to achieve — but never would. 

At the time that she wrote the previously cited article, Schlossberg had already been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, and the prognosis was not good. About a month after the piece's publication, Caroline Kennedy's daughter tragically died at the age of 35. She left behind two children, Edwin Moran and Josephine Moran. One of her biggest regrets was losing the chance to live alongside her son and daughter for longer. Even when she was sick, Schlossberg wrote in her essay that "My parents and my brother and sister, too, have been raising my children and sitting in my various hospital rooms almost every day for the last year and a half." Heartbreakingly, she wondered whether they would remember her and what it would mean that, after death, she would not be able to remember them.