Fred Marx, of Marx Layne public relations firm, dies at 67

Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News

Farmington Hills -- Fred Marx, co-founding partner of the Marx Layne & Co. public relations and marketing firm, died Sunday of heart failure in his home, the company said.

Marx, 67, formed the Farmington Hills company with his business partner Michael Layne in 1987.

"Fred was a wonderful friend and business partner," said Layne in a statement Sunday. "He deeply loved his wife and children. He loved people and was genuinely interested in them. Everybody knew Fred Marx and Fred knew everybody. He loved work. His clients and employees were like family to him. He was creative and brilliant and will be missed greatly."

Florine Mark, the president and chair of the board of the Weights Watchers Group and a longtime friend of Marx said: "I don't know what this city is going to do without Fred Marx. He was the kindest, smartest, most terrific man."

A Denver native, Marx had a lengthy career in the retail industry. He worked for Jacobson's, Macy's and Federated retail corporations before he joined the Dayton Hudson company. He ended his career with Dayton Hudson as a senior vice president before moving on to co-found the Marx-Layne company in 1987.

Marx is survived by his wife of 40 years, Sally Sloman Marx; two daughters, Julie and Carolyn; two sons, Andrew and Scott; and sisters Diana Marx Bloch, Barbara Panzer, Dr. Sherry Zox and Laurie Watkins.

Funeral services for Marx will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills. Arrangements are being handled by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

bwilliams@detnews.com (313) 222-2027