ATLANTA — Self-made billionaire and Atlanta philanthropist Bernie Marcus has died. He was 95.
“The Home Depot is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved founder, Bernard Marcus. To us, he was simply ‘Bernie.’
“Bernie was an inspiration in many ways. He was a master merchant and a genius with customer service. Together with Arthur Blank and Ken Langone, Bernie helped create a nation of doers who could tackle any project, large or small. He loved our customers. He also loved the associates who made the company what it is today. More than anything, he deeply believed in the company’s core values, particularly that of giving back. He never lost sight of his humble roots, using his success not for fame or fortune but to generously help others. In business and in charity, Bernie was unparalleled in generosity and goodwill.”
[PHOTOS: Bernie Marcus through the years]
Gov. Brian Kemp posted the following statement about Marcus’ death.
Marcus made his fortune co-founding home improvement chain Home Depot. He was a part of making it the largest home improvement retailer in the world.
But the man was just as well-known across the Atlanta metro as a philanthropist who donated hundreds of millions of dollars.
“This is my payback to America. And I’m doing it because I think if God put me on this Earth, this is one of the things I want to do with my life – is to help these kids,” Marcus told Channel 2 Action News.
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Marcus’ life is a true tale of rags to riches. He was born May 12, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Russian immigrants.
“We were poor. I grew up in a tenement, and to me, that was a palace. That’s just where I grew up. My parents were Russian immigrants. Spoke Yiddish in the house, didn’t speak English,” Marcus said. “It was great. I had lots of kids to play with. In the tenement, all we had was kids. All kids like myself, all of us poor, we’re all the same, in the same boat.”
Marcus said one person with one of the biggest impacts on his life was his mother.
“She said if you work hard, if you do the best you can, if you’re honest about what you do and you believe in yourself, you can be successful. And those words stayed with me all my life,” Marcus said.
And successful he was.
Marcus and Arthur Blank founded Home Depot in 1978 after they were fired from their hardware store jobs.
Nearly broke, the avid do-it-yourselfers wanted to open a super store that would sell a large amount of merchandise at great prices with a highly trained staff to help. The first two Home Depot stores opened in Atlanta in 1979.
“People were coming with trucks on a weekend. We’d see trucks in the parking lot, loading up. Why? Because they were able to buy things at a price nobody else had, quality merchandise, and that’s why we kept opening stores all over the country,” Marcus said.
From those two stores, Home Depot has grown to more than 2,200 stores on three continents.
Marcus served as the company’s CEO from 1978 until 1997. He then became chairman of the board for the company before retiring in 2002.
He had a clear passion for giving back. Marcus used his own money – at least $200 million – to build the Georgia Aquarium.
“Whenever I go somewhere, I like to stop in and see an aquarium. And when I go into an aquarium and I look at the children, and I see their wide eyes just looking incredulously at some of these creatures floating around, what else brings joy,” Marcus said.
Marcus told Channel 2 Action News when the aquarium opened that the picture window that ends the ocean exhibit was one of his favorite spots.
Marcus and his wife, Billi, also created the Marcus Foundation, which focuses on Jewish causes, children, research, free enterprise and the community.
“My wife Billie and I, believe that we’re put on this Earth, we’re not here a long time, and during that short time we are going to do as much as we can to make life better for other people. We just feel this, innately,” Marcus said.
The Marcus Foundation supports the Share Initiative, which pays for treatments that military benefits won’t.
“I’m going to do everything in my power. The Marcus Foundation will pay for expenses if the VA hospital doesn’t want to pay, we’re going to pay,” Marcus said.
Marcus said he was inspired after hearing soldiers weren’t getting specialized care for their injuries.
“These kids deserve the best, not just half the care, not three-quarters the care, but 100 percent of the care,” Marcus said.
The Marcus Foundation also donated $20 million to Grady Memorial Hospital for the Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center. It provides cutting-edge treatment to stroke patients.
“We believe that this hospital could end up being No. 1 in the nation. And we’re going to help get them to obtain that goal,” Marcus said.
Marcus also founded the Marcus Institute, which provides programs for children and adolescents with brain disorders and their families.
He made a lasting impact on the retail world through Home Depot and touched countless lives through his charitable giving.
“Billi and myself, we feel at the end of the day, this has been a really good day. We saved a life here, we saved a life there, and it really has come to pass where we’re just saving lives. It’s really important to us,” Marcus said.
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