Stephen Barry Marcus

Stephen Barry Marcus passed on June 3, 2026, at his Charlotte, NC home following an illness. He was born on December 6, 1946, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The second child of Larry and Sarah, he had an older sister, Bonnie, who died last fall and a younger brother, Bruce, who resides in Minneapolis.

Steve graduated from the University of Wisconsin where he became involved in the social issues facing students in the early 1970’s. After receiving his master’s degree in urban education from the University of Pennsylvania, he worked as a history teacher at Princeton High School in New Jersey where he helped establish the high school’s learning community, an alternative education program. He also became a visiting lecturer at Princeton University, where he taught their teacher preparation program. Steve moved to Boston where he worked as the Deputy Director of the Cultural Education Collaborative which developed programs between public schools and cultural institutions to foster desegregation.

In 1977, Steve married Susan Rose Powell, the mother of two young sons, and actively participated in the children’s lives -- coaching little league and basketball, taking the family to Red Sox games and on camping trips. After their daughter was born in 1980, he left education to join Wisconsin Toy Company, which was eventually bought out by Big Lots. At Big Lots, Steve was VP of Sales and ran the wholesale division. He left the company after eighteen years to join the Mazel Company in the same role, where he worked for nine years before his retirement in 2020.

Steve and Susan moved to Amherst, MA. to be near their daughter and grandchildren, which coincided with COVID. During that time, he joined the Tikkun Alum Committee (Social Justice) at The Jewish Community of Amherst and took the Stolen Beam course before helping to facilitate it with new groups of adults. Stolen Beam, a five week intensive curriculum, included the study of reparations for descendants of enslaved Africans in the USA.

Steve is best remembered for his dedication to social justice, his integrity, gentle nature, kindness, his ability to treat all people with dignity and respect, his love of sports and his great sense of humor. To his family, he was a stabilizing force who demonstrated Jewish values, responsibility and a gentle heart. “Zayde” to his five grandchildren, he is remembered as being playful, patient, funny, a good listener and accepting.

He is survived by his wife, Susan, his daughter Sarah Marcus (Josh Bedell) of Northampton, MA., sons, Robert Powell (Debbie Mucarsel) of Miami, Florida and Joseph Powell (Andrea Krupman) of Columbus, Ohio, and his brother, Bruce Marcus (Deb) of Minneapolis, MN.

Donations in his honor may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union at action.aclu.org or by calling 888-567-ACLU.