Graca, Elizabeth "Betsy" Age 36, of Minneapolis, passed away February 28th after her three- year battle with cancer ended in a tie. In the words of Betsy's favorite comedian, "When you die, the cancer dies too so that's not a loss - it's a draw." Betsy was born March 6th, 1986 to Timothy and Kathleen (neé Herrig) Graca. A lifelong Twin Cities resident, she graduated from Burnsville High School in 2004, and earned her Bachelors in English from the University of Minnesota in 2008. Betsy found her professional calling in marketing and worked for a number of agencies around Minneapolis over the years, including Catapult and Broadhead. She had a habit for turning colleagues into friends, and created friendships at each stop. Betsy was endlessly creative and particularly proud of her abilities as a renaissance marketer - combining her copywriting expertise with a keen eye for photography and videography. In July 2020, Betsy was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile duct. By the time it was found, the cancer had already spread to her head and back. Despite an average survival rate of less than 6 months at that stage, she underwent treatments for well over 2 years. Betsy's fight against cancer inspired thousands in Minnesota and beyond. Her earnest, and often humorous, posts on Twitter and Facebook led to an interview on CBS News and a full-page feature in the Star Tribune. She found connection through online cancer communities where she could share her experience and advice with patients, survivors and families around the world. Her family sends their unending gratitude to the entire staff at M Health Fairview who cared for Betsy along the way. Special thanks also to close friend Ian Ringgenberg for his ongoing care and commitment. Survived by father Timothy; brothers Michael (Caitlin) and Andrew; niece Alice; nephew William; aunts and uncles James Graca, Joseph (Paula) Graca, James Herrig, Donald Herrig, Charles (Cathy) Herrig; loyal yet mischievous cats Bumby and Atticus; as well as countless friends and loved ones. She was preceded in death by her mother Kathy Graca; grandparents Louis and Alice Graca and Ervin and Helen Herrig; aunt Jolene Herrig; Uncle Edward Graca; close friend Emily Thomas. Services will be held Friday, March 10 starting with a 10:00 visitation then an 11:00 ceremony, both at Church of the Risen Savior (1501 East County Rd 42 Burnsville, MN 55306). A social gathering will be held at 2:00 at Sisyphus Brewery (712 Ontario Ave W #100 Minneapolis, MN 55403).

Published on March 5, 2023