SCI Hall of Fame > 2008 HOF Inductees
Billi Marcus
Benefactor
Giving back to her community -- with an emphasis on caring for children -- has been a hallmark of Billi Marcus. Married to Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, and a mother of three, Mrs. Marcus knows well the importance of positive reinforcement for small children. She founded Camp Billi Marcus with this goal in mind. The camp is a pre-school for children of both Jewish and non-Jewish members of the Marcus Jewish Community Center.
An endowment for the camp through the Billi Marcus Foundation provides scholarships to children who could not otherwise attend the camp.
Mrs. Marcus' community commitments manifest themselves in other ways, as well. In the medical community, she sits on the advisory board of The Shepherd Center. An accomplished golfer, Mrs. Marcus had 16 successful years as co-chair of the center's annual fund-raising golf tournament. She is the largest donor to the Yates Scholarship Foundation.
As a board member of the Marcus Foundation, Mrs. Marcus joined her husband of 30 years in December, 2001, to announce plans to build and donate a $290 million, world-class aquarium in Atlanta. The Grand Opening of the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest, took place in November, 2005.
Mrs. Marcus sits on the Georgia Aquarium Board. She and her husband recently were honored with the The Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, given to individuals who have served with distinction in public life and have shown a special commitment to seeking out informed opinions and thoughtful views, and encourage the free and open exchange of ideas that is the bedrock of America's foundation.