Mr. Marshall H. Marcus

Marshall H. Marcus departed this life on November 11, 2026. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Prior to entering college, he did oil exploration in Brazil for two years. Upon returning to the U.S., he received a BS in Chemistry from Memphis State College and an MS in Chemistry from the University of Kentucky. He taught Chemistry for two years at Transylvania College in Lexington, KY. He then worked as a Research Chemist for Du Pont in Chattanooga, TN, and later as a Chemical Engineering Supervisor for Firestone in Hopewell, VA.

He joined Virginia State OSHA as an Industrial Hygienist Supervisor in 1978. In 1980, he began a 29-year career in industrial hygiene, which involves the recognition, evaluation, and control of health and safety hazards in the workplace, including educational institutions, industrial sites, and government facilities. His first wife, Bettie Jo Leslie, died in 1997. In 1999, he married Virginia Atkinson. They were married for 27 years.

He served as a vestry member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hopewell, VA, and of Westover Episcopal Church in Charles City County, VA, where he was also a member of the church choir. He founded and directed the Community Oratorio Society of Hopewell. He also served as Director of the Hopewell Chapter of the American Red Cross and as a volunteer in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Following retirement, he joined the International Association of Torch Clubs and served as President of the Richmond, VA, chapter in 2016–2017. He was a devoted grandfather, an avid reader of history and science fiction, and an enthusiastic fan of the opera.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia Marcus; his daughter, Mary Elam; her husband, Daniel Elam; and their son, Jacob Elam.