ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) – Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot, the home improvement retail chain that transformed the American business landscape, has died. He was 95 years old.

Home Depot announced his death Tuesday morning.

“The entire Home Depot family is deeply saddened by the death of our co-founder Bernie Marcus. “We owe Bernie an immeasurable debt of gratitude,” they said. “He was a master trader and retail visionary. But more importantly, he cared above all else for our partners, customers and communities. He left us an invaluable legacy and the values ​​that are the backbone of our company.”

Born in 1929 and raised by Russian Jewish parents in Newark, New Jersey, Marcus began working at age 13, eventually abandoning his ambition to become a Harvard-educated doctor to earn a degree from Rutgers. He worked briefly as a pharmacist before moving into retail sales.

In the mid-1970s, Marcus was working as a manager for Los Angeles-based Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers. There he met Arthur Blank. After the two were fired in April 1978, their friend and business partner Ken Langon convinced them to start a business.

Marcus, Blank and Langone founded together Home DepotIt opened its first two stores in Atlanta on June 22, 1979.

Within two years, Home Depot went public. Today the retail chain has more than 2,300 stores in North America.

Marcus retired from active employment at The Home Depot in 2002 and subsequently built The Home Depot by donating more than $200 million of his personal fortune. Georgia Aquariumone of the largest in the world. The aquarium has become one of Atlanta’s top attractions since it opened in November 2005.

In 1999, Marcus and Blank, along with author Bob Andelman, wrote: “Built from Scratch: How a Few Ordinary Men Grew Home Depot from Zero to $30 Billion.” The book was published to coincide with The Home Depot’s 20th anniversary.

In 2009, Marcus was appointed by the Georgia Board of Regents. Georgia Historical Society and governorship.

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