Garry Betty, a longtime executive with Internet Service provider EarthLink, died on Tuesday from complications related to cancer.
Betty was 49.
EarthLink disclosed Betty’s death on Wednesday. He had been an executive with the company since 1996.
Mike Lunsford, an EarthLink executive who was named interim CEO in November when Betty stepped down due to illness, will remain in the post, the company said in a statement.
"Garry was an extraordinary business partner and friend, and he will be sorely missed," said Sky Dayton, the EarthLink founder who is now CEO of Helio, a wireless venture. “Garry was at once the general you wanted at your side in battle and the friend you wanted to celebrate with when the war was won. Garry accomplished so much and made life better for so many people, that as we mourn his passing, we also celebrate his achievements. Our thoughts and prayers are with Garry’s wife, Kathy, and the rest of his family."
Betty graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in chemical engineering in 1979. In 1993, the university selected him as its “Young Alumnus of the Year.”
Before joining EarthLink, Betty was CEO of Digital Communications Associates. At the time, he was the youngest CEO of any company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Garry Betty Foundation has been established to help further cancer research.
Memorial arrangements are pending.
