Marc Berson

Marc Berson — lawyer, developer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, favorite son of Newark — died Saturday December 2 2023. He was 79. Berson is best known as the chair of the Fidelco Group, which he founded in 1981, but he will be most remembered for his impact across the state — particularly in Newark. Fidelco has been an active investor in residential, commercial and industrial properties requiring rehabilitation, repositioning and/or environmental remediation, for the benefit of local communities. Berson oversaw the renovation of the 400,000-square-foot 1 Washington Park office tower and worked hand-in-hand with Rutgers University to build a world-class business school, housed within the high-rise. Fidelco developed award-winning projects like the 494 Broad St. office complex and parking garage anchored by Cablevision in Newark, Audible’s Innovation Cathedral headquarters and the state-of-the-art, 140,000-square-foot FreezPak freezer warehouse. Berson also served as chair of Barnabas Health in 2016, when the merger of Barnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson Health System formed RWJBarnabas Health. RWJBarnabas Health has since grown into a $6.5 billion health system. Berson graduated from Columbia High School in Maplewood (Class of 1962), received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University – New Brunswick (Class of 1965) and his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in Newark in 1968. Berson is survived by his wife, Randi Berson, of 34 years; sister, Jane (Berson) Wisner; children, Lora Hersh (Jeff Hersh), Gary Berson (Ronald Valdez), Kerri Berson Levine (Jared Levine); and six grandchildren.