Ernest Mario

Ernest Mario

October 20, 2024

Key West, Florida - Ernest Mario, whose career as a pharmacist, researcher, and drug industry executive spanned six decades, died October 20, 2024 in Durham, NC. He lived at various times in Princeton, NJ; Chapel Hill, NC; Palo Alto, CA; London, England; Wilmington, NC; and Key West, FL. He was 86.

Born in 1938 in Clifton, NJ, to immigrant parents, Dr. Mario was educated in public schools before enrolling in what today is known as the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey.

Dr. Mario began his career as a pharmacist and researcher and rose to prominence as the CEO of Glaxo Inc (USA) and then Glaxo Holdings (Worldwide) from 1986 to 1993. After Glaxo, he served as chairman and CEO of Alza Corporation, guiding it through its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in 2001. He then served as CEO to Reliant Pharmaceuticals, helping lead the company to its acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline. He was also the non-executive chairman of Pharmaceutical Product Development in Wilmington, NC, from 1993 to 2009. He has served on numerous other public corporate boards, as well as several non-profits, and in 2007 was awarded the Remington Honor Medal, the highest recognition in the pharmaceutical profession.

Dr Mario served as a trustee of Duke University for 18 years, including eight years as the inaugural chair of the Duke University Health System, making him the longest serving non-family trustee in the school's history. In 2009 he was awarded The University Medal for distinguished meritorious service, Duke's highest recognition of service to the school.

Married to the former Mildred Daume of Queens, NY, for 59 years before her passing in 2020, the couple leave behind three sons, Christopher Mario, Greg Mario (Lauren), and Jeremy Mario (Jennifer); eight grandchildren (Griffin, Chloe, Madeleine, Brigitte, Gretchen, Reid, Charlie, and Millicent), two great-grandchildren, and many dear nieces, nephews, and great nieces.

He will be remembered by his family and friends not just for his business success, uncompromising integrity, and philanthropic endeavors, but also for his love of family get-togethers, classic Corvettes, sitting in the sun working the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, and making enormous pots of his famous spaghetti Bolognese to be shared around a large table. He had formidable card-playing skills, which he continued to display and teach to his grandsons right up until his final weeks.

A public memorial service will be held at Edith Memorial Chapel in Lawrenceville, NJ, on December 7 at 2 p.m. More details can be found at https://www.hallwynne.com/obituaries/ernest-mario.