For 30 years Marjorie "Margie" Bush was the chief executive of St. Jude's Recovery Center, Inc., a nonprofit substance abuse agency. She wanted to make sure Atlanta would always have a place of healing for those who were in need.
As one of the primary fundraisers for the agency, Ms. Bush was the "brand of the agency," said Chuck Alexander, chairman of the board of directors at St. Jude's Recovery Center.
"She had excellent connections in the community," Mr. Alexander said. "She had a way to get people to come 'all in' with their support of St. Jude's."
Ms. Bush had been on leave from St. Jude's, but work there continued under interim-CEO Suzanne Shaffer, who is also the chief operating officer, Mr. Alexander said.
"We have a great succession plan and we will keep working," Mr. Alexander said. "It is to Margie's credit that we are as sound as we are."
Marjorie Pearson Bush, of Atlanta, died suddenly June 13 at her home. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of her death. She was 67. Her body was cremated and a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Atlanta. SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society, Marietta, was in charge of arrangements.
Born in Newport News, Va., Ms. Bush earned a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia, according to a news release. She was drawn to the field, said her sister Sue Pearson, of Placerville, Calif.
"She was a diva and a spitfire, and she was generous and compassionate," Ms. Pearson said of her sister. "Those forces converged into an intensity that allowed her to grow the treatment center."
In addition to her work at the Recovery Center, Ms. Bush served on several committees connected to the state Department of Human Resources. She also served on the Fulton County Juvenile Court Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel and was a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Georgia School of Social Work, according to the release.
Ms. Bush's executive profile on St. Jude's website says she was a founding member, and past chairperson, of the Georgia Association of Recovery Residences and the Georgia Association for the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse. Among her professional accolades are a 1999 Hesselbein Community Innovation fellowship and a 2006 "Woman of Distinction" award, which earned her recognition at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Russell Athletic Shootout.
"She was one of those Atlanta heroines who was really making an impact," Mr. Alexander said. "A lot of her work was behind the scenes, but it was also hard work."
In addition to her sister, Ms. Bush is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Bush Bellenger of Atlanta.
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