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Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, the co-founder of The Home Depot, died Monday at the age of 95.
According to a news release from Home Depot, Marcus was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants and grew up in a tenement in Newark, New Jersey. His family could not afford medical school, so he earned a degree in pharmacy from Rutgers University and sold Amana freezers door-to-door during college.
After graduating, Marcus worked for O’Dell’s and Vornado and became the chairman of the board and president of Handy Dan Improvement Centers Inc., part of Daylin. In April 1978, Marcus was fired from Handy Dan, along with Arthur Blank. The duo, along with merchandising expert Pat Farrah and New York investment banker Ken Langone, opened the first Home Depot store in 1979, and Marcus served as the CEO and chairman of the board until his retirement in 2002.
The news release stated, “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.”
