Mary S. Zabelski (née Buczkowski), age 79, passed away peacefully at home in Chicago. She was a devoted wife, a pioneering educator, a courageous advocate for the visually impaired, and the bedrock of our family.

Mary grew up in Chicago as the daughter of the late Dorothy and Charles Buczkowski, alongside her sister, Judy. Her life's path took a profound turn on St. Patrick’s Day in 1970 with the birth of her daughter, Cara Ann. When Cara tragically lost her sight to retinal cancer before age six, Mary chose action over despair. Long before modern educational mandates existed, Mary worked as a preschool teacher at the Jolly Fun House so Cara could be by her side and physically read school books aloud to ensure her daughter’s success.

This singular devotion inspired Mary to pivot her entire career. She returned to school, earning two Master's degrees and a PhD in the field of vision. She dedicated nearly 30 years of her professional life to The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, rising to Senior Vice President of Educational Services and School Director.

At the Lighthouse, Mary created and personally administered an innovative, in-house blended Kindergarten Program, which successfully integrated blind and able-bodied students together in a shared learning environment. She also managed three other vital children’s services: a specialized home-based program, the Birth-to-Three Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers, and a comprehensive therapeutic day school for developmentally delayed young adults aged 3 to 21. Additionally, she developed a dedicated toy and equipment lending library for both able-bodied and disabled children.

Mary's career was defined by immense, fearless bravery. To ensure no child was left behind, her duties required her to personally visit vulnerable students and families living in the highest-crime neighborhoods of Chicago. She braved these dangerous environments without hesitation, tragically incurring physical violence on several occasions while out in the field. Yet, she never faltered in her mission. Serving from 1979 to 1988 as a special education facilitator for the Chapter 1 Project, her supervisor, Margot Fennelly, described Mary as a kind, compassionate, and truly magical, inspirational person.

Because of Mary's relentless encouragement and guiding light, her daughter Cara conquered the world—graduating Magna cum Laude from Harvard, completing her legal education at UCLA Law School, and representing the United States internationally over 18 years in both the Winter and Summer Paralympics and World Championships as both an alpine skier and track tandem cyclist. In October 2018, Cara's legal and advocacy brilliance resulted in her being offered a position with the US Department of Justice as an Assistant US Attorney General. Mary was the ultimate family protector. She frequently shared with friends and loved ones how profoundly blessed she felt, often stating she was given the two best people anyone could ever have in a lifetime: Cara and me. 

Mary’s own beautiful love story began fifty-two years ago when she met her soulmate, Richard Zabelski, at a Parents Without Partners Valentine’s Day dance in 1974. They married on Valentine’s Day in 1980, in City Hall in Chicago, sharing forty-six deeply devoted years of marriage, faith, and simple comforts, like sitting side-by-side watching their beloved Chicago White Sox. 

Mary was a woman of deep faith, anchored by her connection to the spiritual guidance and daily messages sent by email directly to her from Pope Leo XIV, and a woman of relentless care. After being forced out of his father's home, Carson found a safe harbor, a steady anchor, and unconditional love in our home of 46 years, where he has lived with us since 2018 for the past 8 years. Even as she privately endured a devastating, lifelong physical battle with Sjogren's Syndrome and dysautonomia, she kept her suffering to herself to protect her family—climbing the stairs to bring Richard his morning tea each day despite her failing balance. When her battle finally ended, she died in Richard's arms.

Mary is reunited in heaven with her beautiful daughter, Cara Ann Dunne-Yates. She leaves behind her beloved husband, Richard; her cherished grandchildren, Carson and Elise Yates; her sister, Judy Masucci; her nieces, Amy Marks and Anne Nance; and countless students, families, and colleagues whose lives were transformed by her magical, inspirational spirit. She fought the good fight, finished her race, and her legacy of protective love will endure forever.

Visitation, Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral Prayers, Monday, 9:15 a.m. at Kolbus-May Funeral Home 6857 W. Higgins Ave., Chicago to St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, Mass to begin at 10:00 a.m. Interment and committal prayers will begin at 12:30 p.m. Following the Mass, family and friends are to meet at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Visitor Center, 20953 W. Hoff Road, Elwood, IL 60421. Interment and committal prayers will begin at 12:30 p.m. For information, Kolbus-May Funeral Home at 773-774-3232 or www.kolbusmayfh.com