Cobb says farewell to Sandy White, philanthropic local behind Wellstar volunteer program

Jun. 25—Family, friends and community members said farewell this week to a beloved member of the health care and philanthropy community who helped shape the Wellstar Foundation: Sandy White.

Born Sandra Lee Dove, White died on June 10 in the afternoon surrounded by her family at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, an institution she helped support with her volunteer and philanthropic leadership as the former executive director of the Wellstar Foundation. She was laid to rest at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton on Thursday.

White was born in Knoxville to parents Ella Lee and Sherman Dove. She graduated from the University of Tennessee as president of the Phi Mu Sorority and later married her college sweetheart, Milburn Hugh White, in 1963. While Hugh was in the military, the couple lived in Missouri before settling in Marietta, where she was president of the Marietta Junior League in the 1970s and a sustaining member until retirement.

White was a well-known member of the "OM" gang — a group of locals known fondly as "Old Mariettans." Though she wasn't born and raised in Cobb, her son, Kevin White, said his mother was recognized as "an honorary OM" thanks to her philanthropic ventures on behalf of Wellstar and her connections in the community. But it was thanks to those relationships that she was able to help grow Wellstar.

"She basically built that hospital," he said. "She raised money for all those hospitals to be built. She also helped other foundations with their fundraising and building. She was instrumental."

Her son Jason White said she was never without a smile on her face and always told her boys it was important to be part of a community.

"And that's just how welcoming she was, whether she was at church or whether she was at work on the soccer field," he said. "She just always had a big smile on her face."

Jason White said his mother loved collecting antiques and working on miniature doll houses, as well as gardening and oil painting, a trait she picked up from her parents. He said the family planned to display some of her artwork at her service.

"She just taught us how to live life to the fullest and I am really grateful for that," he said. "And I just think that's kind of a lost art — to invest in your kids and make sure they're prepared for what's out there."

White was hired as director of volunteer services for Kennestone Hospital in 1981 and then promoted to executive director of the Wellstar Foundation, a nonprofit that benefits the health and well-being of communities Wellstar Health System serves throughout Georgia, from 1995 to 2007 when she retired. During her time working for Wellstar, the foundation raised more than $25 million under her direction. Her efforts brought about hospital reform, gift giving methods and an increase of community support.

Warren Gordon, Kennestone's former human resources vice president, said he had known White for nearly 60 years before her passing, and had the pleasure of working for the same organization. Gordon originally met White when she befriended his wife, Judy, in the Marietta Junior League. The couples ended up having children at the same time and attended First United Methodist Church in Marietta together.

"When the founder of the volunteer program at Kennestone Hospital retired, Sandy was one of the first people I thought of because of her experience, volunteer work, her educational background and business as a UT graduate," Gordon said. "I felt like she'd be a great candidate. So I called her up and talked her into applying for it."

Louise Wable initiated the first volunteer program at Kennestone Hospital after which White came in and applied her personal and business management skills to the organization, Gordon said. Her efforts put Kennestone, and later Wellstar, on the map, he said.

"She really expanded the volunteer program — made it one of the best programs in the state, if not the nation," he said.

When the hospital wanted to grow as an organization and create a foundation to promote and serve as a fundraiser, White stepped up to the plate, Gordon said.

"Sandy was instrumental on initiating the research and the initial steps of founding the foundation for — at that time — Kennestone Hospital," he said. "Sandy was just instrumental at the local level of forming the structure of the volunteer organization and moving from that to initiating this foundation concept and organizing it, helping staff it and bringing it to what it is today, which is a significant part of the Wellstar Health System Foundation."

White and her husband were longstanding members of the Marietta Country Club who enjoyed dancing and dining with friends. Aside from her time at Wellstar, White was heavily involved in local clubs and committees; she served as the president of the LGA association for many years and was a member of the Marietta Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Young Women's Christian Association in Marietta.

Longtime friend Dianne Weeks said she met White when she joined the Marietta Junior League when the pair were in their 20s. Weeks described White as the sweetest person she's ever known.

"[White] always had a smile on her face, was easy to talk to," she said.

After forming their friendship, Weeks ended up working for White and the Wellstar Foundation.

"Sandy realized at an early age the importance of health care," she said. "I think that's why she went into health care, the importance to have full access to quality health care in our community. She was successful because everybody trusted Sandy, everybody loved Sandy, she was so vibrant."

{p dir="ltr"}Diane's husband, Gene Weeks, who also worked with White, said he didn't think most locals realized the impact White had on Wellstar and the success of the foundation in its formative years.

{p dir="ltr"}"When you're raising money for something, you have to have those relationships and they have to trust you, and she was able to care," he said. "She could leverage those relationships and the visions and the impact and how much better the community would be for it. I don't know if people fully realize just all she was able to lead her team to do in the early days."

White is survived by her husband of 59 years, her sons and daughters-in-law, Kevin and Amanda White, Jason and Erin White with grandchildren Meghan, Jordyn, Harrison, Olivia and Ella White. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Arlene Dove, sister-in-law Sue Williams, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Kendall and Karen White, and by many nephews and nieces.

"I'm going to miss that girl," Diane Weeks said.

Gordon said White was a good citizen and a caring person, who lived by her own motto: "I want to make a difference to somebody today."

"She really made a difference to this community," he said. "She made a difference before she even worked with the health care system — her volunteer work, community work... Marietta and Cobb County were very, very fortunate to have Sandy White living here."

Contributions can be made in honor and loving memory of White to the Wellstar Foundation.