Bernie Marcus has died at age 95. Along with devastation, many tributes have been posted online in honor of Marcus and his legacy with Home Depot

Founding the company with Arthur Blank in 1978, Marcus spearheaded its rapid growth over the next two decades.

Marcus, whose philanthropy included founding the Marcus Foundation, helping launch the Georgia Aquarium, and Republican Party fundraising, died Tuesday at 95.

After getting fired together from a hardware business in the 1970s, Bernard Marcus and Arthur Blank set out to build their own retail chain. They started with a few stores in Atlanta and built Home Depot into a national powerhouse that made them both billionaires.

Bernard Marcus, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot who has for years been an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, has died at 95.

In 1978, he came up with the idea of a warehouse-style store that would appeal to the do-it-yourself homeowner. With a partner’s help, it became the world’s largest home-improvement retailer.

The Republican donor was also a prolific philanthropist whose numerous gifts included funds to build the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.