Obituary - Whitney Harlow Robeson
"You may not understand now what I am doing, but one day you will."
John 13:07
Whitney's life can be best illustrated by an act of kindness she once made for a friend in college going through a hard time. Although this friend had never spoken about her struggles, somehow Whitney just knew. Whitney would reach out daily to check in on her friend. One day, Whitney left a note on her friend's bedroom mirror with the above verse from the New Testament; she never took credit for the gesture, and the only thing that gave it away was her characteristically immaculate and artful handwriting. Whitney lived with inimitable grace; keen, quiet attentiveness and loyalty; boundless generosity and an uncanny way of always knowing just what she needed to do. Whitney was grounded by her faith and unwavering, profound love for her friends and her family. As we mourn Whitney's passing, let us all try to find comfort in the wisdom of Christ's words, as she would no doubt be asking us to do.
Whitney Harlow Robeson was born in Richmond, Virginia on August 1, 2003, to parents Carin "Carrie" Grunkemeyer Robeson and J. Matthew Robeson. Whitney is preceded in death by her grandfather Michael Lee Grunkemeyer; her cousins Sydney and Brooks Landers; and her beloved family dog, Tucker. Whitney is survived by her parents; her brother Griffin Brinck Robeson; her sister Payton Grace Robeson; her grandparents Patricia Barton Grunkemeyer, Franklin "Bud" Robeson and Adele Brinck Robeson; her aunts and uncles Kathleen Grunkemeyer Mayfield (Brad), Kevin Grunkemeyer (Kellie), Meghan Grunkemeyer, Jean Robeson Montag (Mike), and Lindsay Robeson Landers (Nick); and her cousins Madeline Mayfield, Michael Mayfield, Lucas Landers, Margaret Montag, and Margot "Dottie" Grunkemeyer.
Whitney attended St. Bridget Catholic School from kindergarten through the eighth grade. There she built a foundation of faith, love, and friendship which gave her a sense of security and empowered Whitney to radiate with integrity and grace everywhere she went.
Whitney would then attend The Collegiate School, where she came into her own surrounded by friends, neighbors, and teammates. She represented her school on the field hockey and lacrosse fields, as well as on the swim team. Yet even more than the competition or the sports themselves, Whitney treasured her teammates and the camaraderie they shared. She excelled academically at Collegiate, graduating in 2021 with honors.
Upon graduating from high school, Whitney was off to Auburn University: her first choice, on account of its prestigious interior design program. As with most things in her life, Whitney set off on her undergraduate education with a clear vision of what she wanted to do, a heart determined to do what it took to get there, and unshakable faith that she was doing what was right. There was no surprise at all that Whitney made fast friends at Auburn. A member of the Delta Gamma sorority, Whitney's infectious charm and radiant personality cemented her place in the hearts of everyone she encountered. After just a few short months at Auburn, you would have been shocked to learn that this young woman, decked out in Auburn orange and blue cheering "War Eagle!" had never heard of the "kick six" before coming to Auburn, or that her prior experience with the sport of football began and ended with the Super Bowl halftime show. It was nothing short of a marvel to watch Whitney blossom into the bubbly, witty, and spontaneous person that she was always meant to become. She would graduate Summa Cum Laude in May 2025 with a degree in interior design.
Through her teenage and college years, Whitney worked as a babysitter and as a lifeguard. Her warm, caring demeanor made her a favorite of children and parents alike. She also worked in Richmond boutique shops and at LovEvolve with Sunny Goode, her longstanding boss and mentor whom she admired and loved as family.
In the spring of her junior year at Auburn, Whitney took a semester abroad in Italy. She lived and studied in Ariccia, a town just outside of Rome. Whitney was enamored by the beauty and richness of the Old World, which she discovered on many excursions she made throughout Italy and beyond. Whitney's travels brought forth her worldliness, refinement, and a talent for making the world's best latte. But of all the places she went and saw, Whitney treasured none more than her family trips to the beach, where she and they loved to simply soak up the sun with a good book; no bond was stronger or more treasured by Whitney than those she shared with her family.
Whitney loved her brother, Griffin, and her sister, Payton, with warmth, devotion, and often superhuman patience. The three siblings had the tightest of bonds, and in spite of the inevitable frictions that arise between siblings so close in age, the three of them had (and always will have) an unbreakable solidarity. For Payton, Whitney was her best friend, her inspiration and her role model; for Griffin, she was his confidant, his shining light and the person who always told him what he needed to hear. Whitney bewildered and inspired them both with her meticulous attention to detail and singular conscientiousness: traits which somehow continue to elude her big brother and little sister.
Whitney and her mother, Carrie, had the closest bond a mother and daughter could have. They seemed almost as extensions of one another at times, in almost-perfect synchronicity on their shared passions for travel and all things delightful, refined and beautiful. So alike were they in their appearance and demeanor that while out shopping on their "days of fun," some people would be forgiven for mistaking this mother-daughter duo for sisters!
Her father, Matt, absolutely adored her as his "middlest:" his brown-eyed girl. As she grew, her father admired Whitney's dedication to any project she embarked on; she embodied the saying, "if it's worth doing, do it right." But to her father, it was the easy smile, the warm giggle of joy or the big laugh, the calm presence, the love you could see and feel in her eyes, and the way she loved her family and friends as only a "middlest" keystone can - that brought everything together.
Though we never could have begun to imagine it, the final chapter of Whitney's life took place in Birmingham, Alabama. Mere weeks before her tragic and unexpected passing, Whitney was hitting her stride exactly the way we always knew she would. In her new role as a Trade Consultant at Restoration Hardware, this marvelous, independent woman was on the cusp of her successful career in interior design: the job she had always wanted since she was a little girl watching HGTV. In the precious little time she had been in that role, Whitney's new colleagues and supervisor were instantly taken by her kindness, talent, attentiveness, and integrity. To have known Whitney, no matter where, how, why, or for how long, is to have been touched and transformed by her radiant soul.
We mourn Whitney not only as the daughter, sister, and friend she was to us, but also as a woman in the full bloom of her youth and the fantastic mother and aunt she had the potential to become. But it was not to be-and we cannot begin to understand why. Yet, in the days, years, and lifetimes ahead of us, we all who loved her must hold close to one another and have faith, as she did, that someday we will. As we mourn, we will take her memory and indelible impact wherever we go. And we will take comfort in knowing that she had no doubt in her mind that she is forever loved.
Whitney's family welcomes friends for a visitation at Bliley's Funeral Home (3801 Augusta Ave) on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 4-6pm. Whitney lived her life in full color; please wear your favorite bright colors to the visitation!
A Memorial Mass will be held at St Mary's Catholic Church (9505 Gayton Road) on Saturday March 21, 2026, at 12 o'clock noon, with burial immediately following at Mt Calvary Cemetery (1400 Randolph Street).
Whitney had a deep love for children and found great meaning and alignment through the Love Swaddle® Mission in her time at LovEvolve. This program provides mothers and their newborns with swaddles and tools to support new families from the very beginning. In lieu of flowers, please help Whitney's family make an impact in her memory by supporting this mission through your donation to wrap babies in Love.
Every swaddle is donated to a family beginning their journey together via Whitney's Legacy of Love.
