The time of death was not released but family friend Michaelis said a housekeeper had seen Mary Kennedy alive Tuesday, and worried about her absence Wednesday morning.



Her husband denied reports that a suicide note was found.



The Kennedys' four kids, Conor, Kyra, William and Aiden, range in age from 17 to 11. They were not living with their mom when she killed herself a few days after Mother's Day.



Their father, who lived in a rented house near the family home and also spent time in California, had taken temporary custody in February.



They were described by family friends as being "shellshocked."



"They're quiet. They seem to be actually very stoic," said one friend.



Friends of the couple said Mary Kennedy knew she was not coping well with the looming divorce and the separation from her kids, but they were shocked that she would go as far as suicide.



"She never gave the impression that things were as bad as they must have been for her to do what she did," Michaelis said.



"I'm absolutely baffled by it. She was a devout Catholic. I know when Bobby wanted a divorce, she wasn't happy about that. She wanted to try to keep the family together.



"There's no question she wished things were different," he said. "She was not looking forward to a divorce."



Since the separation, Bobby has dated a series of women.



Lately, TV actress Cheryl Hines has accompanied him to the Sundance Film Festival and gala benefits for his Riverkeeper Foundation — places where in past years Mary would have been on his arm.



Starting in 2007, police had been called to the family home to handle a string of booze-related incidents — usually coinciding with rumors of Bobby's infidelity.



After he filed for divorce in May 2010, the once-vibrant mother descended into alcohol and prescription-drug use reminiscent of the worst days of Joan Kennedy — including two DUI incidents.



Friends said her state worsened after Bobby took temporary custody of the couple's kids in February, when Mary was to enter rehab.



"Bobby said, 'I have to protect myself and my children,' " a friend recalled.



Mary feared he would take the children — her world — away from her entirely, friends said.



Michaelis called Mary Kennedy a delightful person.



"She was an incredibly positive person and generous to a fault," he said.



He last saw her on May 5 at a mutual friend's 50th birthday party.



"She didn't stay long. She got there late. But she made an effort to come out," he said.



"She seemed in a good mood and in good form."



He reminisced about happier times, when the Kennedys invited other families over to play Capture the Flag.



"Many families were invited to come, even new acquaintances," Michaelis said.



"It was always fun. Mary would lay out tons of Oreo cookies and lemonade and then be out playing."



Local wine store owners didn't recognize her as a customer, but one had been to her house.



Arthur Wunderlich, 76, owner of Bedford Wine Merchants in Bedford Village, went to her mansion about two years ago with about 60 members of the Bedford Historical Society for a presentation she gave on the "green" home she had renovated.



"She gave a talk, explaining what they did, all the features it has. It's absolutely amazing; it's all sorts of pipes and valves, everything environmental. She knew her stuff," he said.



Wunderlich shook his head at the pain the family must be going through.



"With all that money, I don't know what family's had more tragedy. The family's just had unbelievable tragedy," he said.



Robert Kennedy is the third of 11 children of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968, five years after his older brother President John F. Kennedy was killed in Dallas.



Michael Kennedy, one of his younger brothers, died in 1997 when he slammed into a tree while playing football on skis.



Another brother, David, died of a drug overdose in 1984.



agendar@nydailynews.com