Linda Kelliher Samets, 79, Designer and Agency Founder
Linda Kelliher Samets of Charlotte, Vermont, and New York, New York, passed away peacefully in Lincoln, Massachusetts on December 9, 2025, following complications from recent surgery. A beloved wife, mother, sister, artist, horsewoman, and friend, she was 79.
Linda was born on March 8, 1946, in Lowell, Massachusetts. The fifth of nine children, she attended Concord-Carlisle High School, where her artistic gifts emerged. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), which nurtured her creativity and helped set the course for her career and life. After college, Linda worked at an advertising agency in Boston before moving into a graphic design role at WGBH.
After moving to Vermont, Linda opened a one-room design studio in Burlington. At the time, she had been turned away from local agencies that told her that her work was too unconventional. But Linda knew better. She trusted her instincts. And so, she created her own place, her own path, and, eventually, her own company.
Over the decades that followed, Linda, together with her partner in life and business, Yoram, transformed her small design firm into Kelliher Samets Volk (now KSV), a nationally recognized marketing agency with offices in New York and Burlington. Her creativity, intuition, professionalism, and humanity influenced generations of designers, writers, and strategists.
Beyond her work at KSV, Linda was dedicated to numerous community organizations in Vermont, including Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, Special Olympics, Burlington City Arts, and the Gailer School….
We all got to know Linda’s creativity and special spirit at GBH as the “art department” soon became the “design department.” When she moved to Vermont we kept in touch, and were happy to see her flourish with her own company. Eventually we lost contact. Sad day to lose Linda. Bill
When I saw the obit, l was saddened.
I remember her being a forceful and focused friend, who I had not kept up with.
May she rest in power.