Mary Kathleen "Kathy" Robbins lived a beautiful life caring for those she loved.
Born July 18, 1956, in Lincoln, to John Daylon and Lillian Rose (Schleiger) Shadley, she passed away Aug. 20, 2026, in Seward, at the age of 70 years, 1 month and 2 days.
Mary grew up in Lincoln, where she attended school and graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School with the Class of 1974. Mary was united in marriage to Gary Robbins on Sept. 2, 1978, in Lincoln, and the young couple wasted no time starting their family. Mary dedicated herself to raising her children. She put herself through school at Southeast Community College, earned a degree in Early Childhood Development, and ran her own in-home daycare business during their early years.
An avid dancer and athlete, Mary taught (or rather invented, if you asked her) aerobics classes, using the income to pay for her college, including classes for seniors, with whom she developed many friendships over the years. Mary continued to instruct others in aerobics through nearly four decades.
In 1995, Mary and her family moved to Seward, where she worked for Century 21 Real Estate as the office manager, later earning her real estate license. Mary had a successful career selling homes for Century 21 and Woods Bros. and delighted in helping people find their dream home, always putting her clients ahead of commissions.
When Mary wasn't working and taking care of her family, she spent many hours quilting and her friends and family members were often the recipients of her heirloom creations. Mary was a member of the Seward Quilt Guild, worked at The Fabric Fair quilt shop and won numerous quilt show ribbons over the many years she was active in the quilting community.
All her life, Mary was positively obsessed with animals, especially the many cats and dogs she held as full-fledged members of her family. She cared deeply for their welfare, gave generously to no-kill shelters and lobbied for stronger laws in Nebraska to protect animals from exploitative and inhumane breeding practices.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Jack Shadley, Jerry Shadley, and an infant brother, Donald Gene Shadley.
Survivors cherishing her memory include her husband, Gary Robbins of Seward, who loved and cared for her, never leaving her side for nearly 48 years; two sons and daughters-in-law, Russ and Megan Robbins of Lincoln, and Andy and Sarah Robbins of Lincoln; five grandchildren; her brother, Jim Shadley of Hickman; four nieces, one nephew; a host of dear friends; and of course her loyal and faithful companion, Freddie the Labrador.
A memorial service will be Friday, Sept. 18, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Seward. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Blue River Pet Rescue at https://www.blueriverpetrescue.org/
Arrangements by Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home.
