Jack Schlossberg Honors Late Sister Tatiana Schlossberg with Poignant Tribute Following Her Death at 35

Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and brother of the late environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, paid a moving tribute to his sister following her death from cancer at the age of 35. Tatiana, known for her passionate environmental advocacy and insightful journalism, passed away on December 30, 2025, after a battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer.

On Monday, January 5, the majority of the Kennedy family gathered to lay her to rest, honoring her life and legacy. Amid the family’s private mourning, Jack Schlossberg shared a heartfelt tribute to Tatiana on Instagram, providing a window into the profound respect and love he held for his sister. His post included ten excerpts from poems and notable writings that resonated with Tatiana’s beliefs, alongside a photograph of the siblings in their youth. He captioned the post simply with a cherry blossom emoji, symbolizing beauty, fragility, and remembrance.

Among the excerpts, Jack shared passages from Tatiana’s own work, including an excerpt from her 2019 book Inconspicuous Consumption:

"It's up to us to create a country that takes seriously its obligations to the planet, to each other, and to the people who will be born into a world that looks different than ours has for the past 10,000 years or so."

She wrote about the necessity of persistent effort, even with uncertain outcomes: "Essentially, what I'm describing is hard work with possibly limited success for the rest of your life. But we have to do it, and at least we will have the satisfaction of knowing we made things better. Come on, it will be fun (?)”

Jack’s tribute also included excerpts from literary and historical figures who influenced both their lives, including Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem Crossing the Bar, writings by Abraham Lincoln, and poems by Rita S. Beer, Robert Frost, and Elizabeth Bishop. He further shared Buddha’s last words, emphasizing the impermanence of life and the importance of working toward personal salvation. In a touching nod to her grandfather, Jack also included one of John F. Kennedy’s most memorable quotes: "There are three things in life which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. Since the first two are beyond our comprehension, we must do what we can with the third."

Tatiana Schlossberg first publicly shared her AML diagnosis in November 2025 through an essay in The New Yorker, revealing that she had no symptoms when diagnosed and that she had undergone multiple treatments, including chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, but was ultimately given a terminal prognosis. Her essay also reflected on the so-called “Kennedy curse,” expressing her grief at potentially adding to her mother Caroline Kennedy’s lifelong losses. She wrote: “For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry. Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family's life, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.”

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has endured immense personal loss throughout her life, including the assassination of her father in 1963, the death of her mother from lymphoma in 1994, and the tragic death of her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., in a plane crash in 1999.

AML, the disease that claimed Tatiana’s life, is a rapid and aggressive blood cancer that affects the bone marrow and the production of normal blood cells. While most commonly diagnosed in people over 60, it can also occur in younger adults, including those in their 30s. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 20,000 new cases of AML are diagnosed annually in the United States. Early symptoms are often subtle and may resemble a persistent flu or cold, including fatigue, fever, night sweats, dizziness, unexplained weight loss, easy bruising, and frequent infections (Cleveland Clinic, 2025; American Cancer Society, 2025).

Despite intensive treatment, including multiple rounds of chemotherapy and clinical trials, Tatiana’s condition progressed rapidly. Her passing is a poignant reminder of both the aggressiveness of AML and the importance of early detection and advocacy for patient care.

Jack Schlossberg’s tribute highlights not only the personal loss felt by the Kennedy family but also Tatiana’s enduring commitment to environmental issues, intellectual engagement, and family devotion. Through literature, philosophy, and heartfelt words, Jack ensured that her legacy will continue to inspire those who knew her and many more who learn of her life through her writing and activism.

Sources:

1. The New Yorker, Tatiana Schlossberg essay, November 2025

2. American Cancer Society, “Acute Myeloid Leukemia,” 2025 [https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia.html]

3. Cleveland Clinic, “AML: Symptoms and Diagnosis,” 2025 [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17913-acute-myeloid-leukemia]

4. Getty Images/AFP, coverage of the Schlossberg family, 2025