Mary Dobry

Mary Evelyn (Shipley) Dobry, of Lovington, New Mexico, was born December 8, 1929, to Oscar and Dona (Price) Shipley in Chickasha, Oklahoma and passed peacefully at her home on September 25,2022. She was the youngest of 4 children, living on her parents’ farm, where she developed her love for training horses with her father. At a young age, they began Roman trick riding and traveled the country preforming as the opening act at many rodeos. The day after her graduation from Chickasha High School, she married her love, James Raymond Dobry. Together they had 4 children- Wayne, Keith, Mary Denise, and Michael, and was a foster mother to 3 additional boys. They moved several times throughout the years following James’s career in the military, before raising their family in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Mary established a successful career in real estate, owning her own brokerage and several rental properties, along with various other businesses in the surrounding area. Her passion was buying businesses to reestablish and involving her children ensuring they would always be close by and work together. Her travels eventually landed her in Hobbs in 1986 where she would stumble upon the closed Western Sizzlin’. She had no intentions of staying in Hobbs, but quickly grew to love the town and people and decided to call it home. She turned the closed business into a premier eating establishment, and later re-naming it Ranchers Steakhouse and Buffet. She was a beloved boss by many, making everyone a part of the family, and believing in each of them. The restaurant was awarded several awards throughout the years under her direction.

After establishing success in the restaurant, she moved to her next adventure, where she purchased a ranch north of Hobbs, now known as Lazy D Ranch. She renovated the run-down barns and pens and began filling her pastures with cattle. She became a premier breeding ranch for Registered Red Angus, winning several National Shows including Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Abilene, and Albuquerque. Mary held an annual Bull Sale at the ranch, where buyers came from all over the country in hopes to bring her genetics to their herd. She had a passion for teaching children about agriculture and her knowledge of the cattle industry. In 2020, she was awarded a Lifetime Member Award from the Red Angus Association.  Although Ranchers Steakhouse proved a great source of income, the Lazy D Ranch was her true love. Later in life she taught herself to paint.  Mary built her forever home on the property and included a horse barn and arena where she taught her grandchildren how to ride, enjoyed the beautiful sunsets and sunrises, and left her legacy to continue.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, one brother, and son Keith Dobry.  She is survived by two sons, Wayne Dobry and wife Jeana of Ruidoso, NM, Michael Dobry and wife Christy of Dallas, TX, daughter Mary Denise Rice and husband Leonard of Lovington, NM. four grandchildren, Justin Rice of Hobbs, NM, Shea (Rice) Valdez and husband Manuel of Lovington NM, Colton Rice and wife Alyssa of Lovington, NM, and Tiffany Dobry and fiancé Edward Mendoza of Austin, TX, and three Great-grandchildren Anya( Valdez), Rilynn(Rice), and August(Valdez) and her friends and family employees of Ranchers Steakhouse and Buffet.