Tatiana Schlossberg, Granddaughter of JFK, Dies at 35 After Leukemia Battle

A Quiet Farewell to a Quiet Force

NEW YORK—Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy who preferred the hush of a library to the glare of a camera, has died at 35 after a swift fight with acute myeloid leukemia, her family confirmed early Monday. She passed away Sunday night at Memorial Sloan Kettering, surrounded by her parents, Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, and her two younger brothers, Jack and James.

The Writer Who Chose Ink Over Spotlight

While the Kennedy name opened doors, Tatiana walked through them quietly. After graduating from Yale, she covered climate change for the New York Times and later authored the bestselling book Inconspicuous Consumption, exposing the hidden carbon footprint of everyday life. Colleagues remember a reporter who kept her press badge hidden beneath a wool scarf and her lineage even deeper.

"She never wanted to be introduced as a Kennedy," says editor Dana Goldstein. "She wanted the reporting to speak first."

A Diagnosis That Arrived Without Warning

Friends say she felt fatigued during a book-tour stop in Portland last winter, attributing it to jet lag. A routine blood test revealed blast cells; within 48 hours she was admitted for aggressive chemotherapy. AML, a fast-moving blood cancer, advanced despite experimental trials. She documented the experience in a private journal, excerpts of which the family plans to publish to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Remembering the Life She Built Out of the Public Eye

• Grew up on the Upper East Side but spent summers on Cape Cod, sailing with her grandmother Jacqueline Onassis’s old crew.
• Married George Moran, a pediatric resident, in a 2019 ceremony on Martha’s Vineyard so small the press only learned of it weeks later.
• Kept a modest apartment in Brooklyn Heights, where neighbors recall her hauling groceries and declining help.
• Recently completed a children’s book on urban wildlife, slated for 2025 release.

Tributes Pour In

President Biden, a longtime friend of the Kennedy family, ordered flags to half-staff at federal buildings in New York. In a statement, he recalled teaching Tatiana how to parallel-run a campaign rope line when she was eight. "She had the same curiosity and courage as her grandfather," he said. "She just used a pen instead of a podium."

A private funeral will be held Thursday at St. Ignatius Loyola, the same church where her great-uncle Ted Kennedy’s funeral drew presidents. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or the Natural Resources Defense Council, honoring the twin passions of her life: words and the world they tried to protect.