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As a student at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Robin Shivers had her eyes set on a successful business career, recalled her longtime friend and classmate, Valerie Phillips.
"I don’t know many people who read Fortune in high school, but Robin did," Phillips said.The focused girl Phillips first met around 1970 grew up to become a respected and well-known figure of the Austin music scene, whose lasting legacy may be the 5-year-old nonprofit organization she launched to provide health insurance to musicians pursuing their craft.Ms. Shivers died unexpectedly Oct. 27 of unknown causes, according to a family spokesperson. She was 53.Born in Graham on March 23, 1956, to investor and entrepreneur John Ratliff and Robbie Ratliff, both of Fort Worth, Ms. Shivers graduated from Arlington Heights in 1974. She quickly moved to Austin, the city that would become her home for most of her life.It was while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Texas that she met Allan "Bud" Shivers Jr., the son of former Texas Gov. Allan Shivers. The couple married in 1978. "As far as I know, they ate lunch together every day for the rest of her life," Phillips said.Ms. Shivers soon found niches in the music and healthcare fields, managing musicians, organizing fundraising concerts and doing charity work with the Seton Family of Hospitals in Central Texas, Phillips said.It was in 2005 that she merged her two areas of expertise, helping found the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. The organization now provides healthcare insurance for over 1,600 musicians, said HAAM Executive Director Carolyn Schwarz. Ms. Shivers helped raise over $1 million for the effort by pitching the Austin music community as a vital economic driver for the city that was in danger of being lost, Schwarz said."Now that we have to live up to what Robin would want, we feel this extra sense of responsibility to continue this dream and grow it," Schwarz said.Along with her mother and husband, survivors include sisters Lisa Ratliff of Fort Worth and Kimberly Truman of Dallas; and a brother, John Ratliff Jr., of Fort Worth.
Funeral: Today, 2 p.m., at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 203 E. 10th St., Austin.Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Seton Fund for HAAM, 1206 W. 38th St., Suite 4200, Austin, TX 78705.
AMAN BATHEJA, 817-390-7695
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