NEWTON, Mass. (BRAIN) — Steve Marcus, a longtime New England sales rep for several brands and a former retailer and framebuilder, died Thursday, Jan. 16, at age 60.
Marcus had been suffering from cancer for several years, friends said. He died at home surrounded by his family.
Ray Keener, executive director of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association, called Marcus "one of the top U.S. independent reps for decades."
Longtime friend Frank Spinoza, owner of the three-store Massachusetts retail chain Frank's Spoke 'n Wheel, said Marcus continued to work through his illness.
"There was never a word of self-pity since he was diagnosed," Spinoza said. "(He) always made the calls, whether you did a lot or a little business with the line. He always had retail tips for any issue or to sell any product. The one I remember from years ago, in reference to selling more car racks: "Do you ask how they are getting their bike home today?"
"He handled (his illness) in the manner of a classic bike racer and continued to push forward under the worst of circumstances," Spinoza said.
Before becoming a sales rep, Marcus built frames and managed the Laughing Alley Bicycle Shop near Boston. He was also a blues guitarist who played in several bands.
Services were held Sunday in Brookline, Mass., and burial followed at Independent Workmen's Circle in West Roxbury. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that gifts be made in Marcus' memory to support Dr. David Reardon's brain tumor research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.
More information: Dignitymemorial.com.
