05/07/2026
When we say Betsy Whitney was woven into the fabric of 5Points Creative, we are not exaggerating. Betsy was standing by the owner’s side when he decided to start this company.
Betsy was among the first to trust our company with her marketing and advertising budget while she worked with Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley. Years later, she hired us to help the Carilion Clinic Foundation launch the Robert L.A. Keeley Healing Arts Institute. Then, a few years ago, when she joined Good Samaritan Hospice as their Chief Philanthropy Officer, we began to work together again. Seventeen years of watching this incredible leader, gifted officer, and highly skilled communicator work her inimitable magic.
She regularly inspired our team. We collaborated, and she pushed us to better work and stronger results. She brought out the best in us and in so many others. These past few months have been terribly difficult for us, as we know they have been for the Good Samaritan Hospice family. Now our thoughts are with her dear friends - including Bruce and Laurel - and her husband Steve, and their entire family.
The world lost one of its brightest this week. We at 5Points Creative are heartbroken and working through this loss. We miss you already, Betsy. 💜
There are moments in life that simply leave us without words. Last night, our Good Samaritan family lost a beloved colleague, leader and friend. Betsy Whitney passed away peacefully in the very hospice house she helped make possible for so many others. There is something both incredibly heartbreaking and profoundly beautiful about that truth. Nearly five years ago, Betsy joined Good Sam as our Chief Philanthropy Officer during one of the most important and ambitious chapters in our organization’s history. We were preparing to launch the first ever capital campaign to build Southwest Virginia’s first freestanding hospice inpatient facility. Betsy believed in that vision with her whole heart. She poured herself into it, not for recognition, but because she believed deeply in what compassionate end-of-life care means for patients, families and this community. And because of her work, her leadership and her unwavering belief in this mission, countless families will be cared for with dignity, peace and love for generations to come.
But Betsy was so much more than her title or accomplishments. She was smart. Independent. Caring. Thoughtful. Honest. She carried herself with confidence, grace and just the right amount of flare. And somehow, always, with the best style in Roanoke. Her impact on Good Sam cannot be measured simply by dollars raised or projects completed. Betsy helped shape who we are. She helped tell our story. She helped carry this mission forward. And she did it while building deep friendships and leaving fingerprints on the hearts of so many people. Today, our hearts are broken. The halls of Good Sam feel heavy as our world feels a little less bright without her beautiful spirit in it.
But what a gift it was to know her. What a blessing it was to walk alongside her. We will miss her deeply. We will carry her with us always. And we will continue the work she cared so deeply about: serving those around us with compassion and dignity. Please keep Betsy’s family, friends and all who loved her in your thoughts and prayers.
