Marilyn Kroc Barg Details on Family and Career Life
Marilyn Kroc Barg was a successful businesswoman, equestrian, and very influential in the philanthropy world. She is the daughter of Ray Kroc the founder of McDonald’s and actress Ethel Janet. She was passionate about animals, giving back to the community initiatives, education, and health while working with nonprofit organizations. Marilyn served on the McDonald’s board of directors for several years.
Her passion for philanthropy brought progress in the medical research community with advanced discoveries and financial support even in diabetes research. Marilyn established the Ronald McDonald House Charities a nonprofit organization working towards improving the life of underprivileged children who required medical treatments in local hospitals. She died on September 11, 1973, due to diabetic complications and with an estimated net worth of $6 million.
Marilyn Kroc Barg Family Life
Marilyn Kroc Barg was born on October 15, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois. She was an only child to Raymond Albert Kroc and Ethel Janet Fleming. Her mother Ethel was an actor featured in sixteen films and decided to leave her career and focus on building her family. Her parents were married for over forty years but unfortunately divorced due to an unknown business disagreement. The Kroc family left behind a legacy of generosity in their charitable initiatives and philanthropic causes.
Marily was passionate about animals especially horses and was involved in Equestrian sports like showing off horses and breeding. In 1949, she married Sylvester Nelson in Cook County, Illinois and it ended in divorce. She remarried James Barg in 1960 in Chicago and they were together until she died in 1973. James died in 1984.
Who is Raymond Albert Kroc?
Marilyn Kroc Barg’s father, Raymond Albert Kroc, is well known for globalizing fast food culture through his obtaining and running McDonald’s from 1961. He served as the chairman of the company until his death. He was a paper container salesman, and a pianist and worked in the real estate industry as an agent. He was the owner of San Diego Padres a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball. He collaborated with the McDonald brothers to open the first restaurant business and it was a success. The company created a standardized menu and developed a very efficient assembly line system for food preparation.
He served as the CEO of McDonald’s till 1974 and left a successful legacy with 7,500 outlets in the US, 31 locations abroad, and an estimated fortune of $600 million having turned the company into the most successful food corporation in the world. A museum was opened in Illinois to celebrate the fast-food franchise company but it was shut down in 2018. He co-authored the book Grinding It Out published in 1977 and reissued in 2016. This was the biography outline about Kroc.
The film The Founder depicts Kroc’s franchise business, expansion, and running even with the McDonald brothers. Kroc has been featured on the documentary series The Food That Built America and in Tim Harford’s BBC World Service radio show. He passed away at the age of 81 due to alcohol abuse that led to a stroke and heart failure.