Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, the co-founder of retail giant The Home Depot, the financial backer of the Georgia Aquarium, and Jewish philanthropist, died at his home in Florida on Nov. 4. He was 95.
Marcus leaves behind a legacy marked by generosity and unwavering dedication to strengthening the Atlanta medical, veteran, and Jewish communities.
“He embodied the principle of caring for people first, prioritizing relationships over profits—a philosophy that shaped both his business and philanthropic efforts,” said a press release from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. “Bernie led by example, demonstrating that true leadership is rooted in compassion and integrity.”
The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Marcus was born in 1929 and grew up in a tenement in Newark, N.J. Although he dreamed of becoming a doctor, he couldn’t afford medical school. He enrolled in pharmacy school and received a degree from Rutgers University. He told stories about cutting college classes to sell Amana freezers door-to-door.
Fired from his corporate job in 1978, Marcus had already envisioned a one-stop shop for do-it-yourselfers, something that did not exist in the home improvement retail space. Marcus teamed up with friend Arthur Blank to create The Home Depot, which opened its first store in Atlanta in 1979.
The Jewish tradition of tzedakah (charity) was a driving principle forMarcus. It can be evidenced inside The Home Depot, where more than 194,000 associates have benefitted from a fund to take care of Home Depot associates who suffer unexpected hardships, as well as in the larger Atlanta community.
A press release from The Home Depot said, “We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to Bernie. He was a master merchant and a retail visionary. But even more importantly, he valued our associates, customers and communities above all. He’s left us with an invaluable legacy and the backbone of our company: our values.”
The Marcus Foundation supports medical advancement locally at Georgia Tech, Grady Health System, Shepherd Center, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Emory School of Medicine, the Marcus Autism Center.
As an advocate for Israel, Marcus sent tens of thousands of children to summer programs through the Atlanta Jewish Camp Initiative, contributed to Birthright Israel, Hillel International, PJ Library, and the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. He donated $20 million to start RootOne, a program that encourages Jewish teens to travel to Israel.
Jared Powers, CEO of the MJCCA, called Marcus “a visionary philanthropist, devoted community leader, and beloved friend to the entire Jewish community.”
“His legacy lives on in the spaces he helped create, the lives he impacted, and the community he strengthened. We are deeply grateful for his lifetime of leadership and philanthropic investments, both to our organization and our greater community,” Powers said.
Marcus is survived by his wife of 50 years, Billi Marcus; his son, Dr. Frederick Marcus of Emory University; and his stepson Michael Morris, publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times. He is predeceased by his daughter Susanne Marcus Collins.
