A funeral for Bernie Marcus, a Home Depot co-founder and a leading philanthropist, will be held Thursday in Atlanta.
The service is scheduled at 1 p.m. at The Temple on Peachtree Street in Midtown. It is open to the public, according to a spokesperson for The Marcus Foundation.
Speakers are expected to include Marcus’ son and stepson, Home Depot co-founders Arthur Blank and Ken Langone and former Home Depot chairman and chief executive Frank Blake.
Marcus died Monday night at his home in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 95 years old.
A graveside burial service, open only to family members and close friends, is slated for later Thursday afternoon in Sandy Springs. That evening, the family will sit shiva at The Temple in Atlanta.
In lieu of gifts or flowers, the family asks that people consider donating to one of the following organizations: RootOne, Avalon Action Alliance, the Marcus Autism Center, the Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center at Grady, the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the Israel Democracy Institute or the Marcus National Blood Services Center.
Marcus, the son of impoverished Jewish immigrants, became a billionaire by turning the Atlanta-based Home Depot chain of home-improvement stores from a small startup into a retail giant.
He went on to finance downtown’s Georgia Aquarium and supported many charitable causes, such as the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and the Marcus Autism Center. He also poured millions of dollars into stroke research and treatment, as well as help for veterans and first responders with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse issues.
Marcus is survived by Billi, his second wife, whom he celebrated his 50th anniversary with in 2023; a son, Fred, of Atlanta, who worked at Home Depot in the past and later taught philosophy at Emory University; a stepson, Michael Morris, of Atlanta, who became owner of the Atlanta Jewish Times; and several grandchildren. A daughter, Susanne, predeceased her father.
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