He knew his father and mother had both persevered and survived the horrors of the Holocaust. He knew his father's family in Austria was part of the society's elite before the war took everything they had. He knew his family's heritage was out there somewhere, but had no idea who or where any of his relatives were.

Richard Marcus has always been intrigued by his family's history. His father and mother understandably never spoke much about life before and during World War II. The same perseverance and commitment ran through Richard's veins, inspiring a massive quest to uncover his roots. After years of intense research, careful genealogy, and even learning a little German, he was able to track down much of his family's estate, and more importantly, find all the surviving branches of his family tree (spanning from New York to Israel). It inspired him to travel across the world and personally connect with his newfound family. "It was important to know where we came from," he says. "To share this with my family and reunite long-lost relatives has been a truly rewarding experience."

Tracking down his roots gave Richard an even stronger sense of his present life and his family's future. As a dedicated husband and father of four, Massachusetts native and trusted local professional, he takes pride in doing positive things that impact the future of everyone around him. His passion for this is evident whether it's the quality time he spends with his wife Mary and their children, the effort he put in every day in his former career as a teacher, or his work with local schools and parents who are coping with learning disabled students.