Bernie Marcus, The Home Depot co-founder and billionaire Jewish philanthropist, dies at 95

Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, the co-founder of The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement chain, a billionaire philanthropist with a focus on Jewish causes, and a big Republican donor, has died. He was 95.

Marcus died Monday in Boca Raton, Florida, surrounded by family, according to a Home Depot spokesperson.

Marcus was Home Depot’s CEO as it grew rapidly during its first two decades, and was chairman of the board until his retirement in 2002. In recent years, he became an outspoken supporter of former president Donald Trump.

“We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to Bernie,” the company said in a statement. “He was a master merchant and a retail visionary. But even more importantly, he valued our associates, customers and communities above all. He’s left us with an invaluable legacy and the backbone of our company: our values and culture. ”

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Marcus was born in 1929 and grew up in a tenement in Newark, New Jersey, according to a biography on the company’s website.

Marcus has financially supported various charities as well as Jewish and medical organizations through donations. He also built the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, one of the largest in the world. The company said that his philanthropic work will continue through The Marcus Foundation, with a focus on Jewish causes, children, medical research, free enterprise and the community.