Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, who made an indelible mark on Boca Raton’s healthcare offerings and the nation’s do-it-yourself handyman attitude, died in Boca Raton on Wednesday.
The Home Depot, which he co-founded in 1979, announced his passing in a press release.
“Bernie was an inspiration in many ways,” the company said. “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.”
That was especially true in Boca Raton, where he and his wife, Billi, made a $15 million donation to the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation’s Keeping the Promise campaign in 2020. In 2012, the couple’s Marcus Foundation donated $25 million to the hospital to found the Marcus Neuroscience Institute.
In a 2020 press release, Boca Raton Regional Hospital president Lincoln Mendez said, “There are few who understand the value of ensuring the next generation of healthcare better than Bernie and Billi Marcus.”
In Georgia, Marcus founded the Marcus Autism Center; Project Share, which treats brain and spinal injuries; The Homer Fund, which benefits The Home Depot employees facing hardship; the Georgia Tech Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing; Grady Hospital’s Marcus Trauma and Emergency Center; the Marcus Heart and Vascular Center at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital; the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia; and he and his wife donated $250 million to found the Georgia Aquarium.
According to The Home Depot, he said, “My mother taught me to be generous. She believed that the more you give, the more you get.”
Marcus was also the author of “Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back and Doing It Yourself,” co-author of “Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion.” He was also active in political giving and an outspoken supporter of the Republican Party.
Born in 1929 in New Jersey to Russian Jewish immigrants, Marcus earned a degree in pharmacy from Rutgers University but had his sights set on entrepreneurship. He worked his way up to chairman of the board and president of the Handy Dan Improvement Centers, where he met his lifelong friend, Arthur Blank. The two were fired from the company in 1978, but in their back pocket they had plans for a home improvement store. The Home Depot opened its doors in Atlanta the next year and today the company has more than 2,300 stores across North America.
In his book, “Kick Up Some Dust,” he wrote, “I was able to do things my parents could only dream about… and have focused on helping those I will never meet.”
