Marshall, 57, died Saturday afternoon at his Southwest Baltimore warehouse when he was hit by a truck that police said was driven by a man trying to steal goods from the landscaping business. Also injured in the incident was his brother, Jack Marshall, 59, who is expected to recover, city police spokesman Det. Jeremy Silbert said.
The two Marshall brothers owned and operated Patapsco Valley Sales and Supply, one of the area's oldest wholesalers of decorative gardening containers.
"George was the salesman. He did the shows and would call on the customers. His brother ran the warehouse," said Jan Hull, an employee who lives in Arlington, Va. "George would be in at 4 in the morning to make sure the trucks went out with the right orders. He was well liked and extremely accommodating to his customers."
Marshall was recalled as an adroit salesman who was at ease calling on roadside markets to sell his Halloween novelties, such as scarecrows, as well as high-end restaurants and wedding planners to sell imported glazed jardinières.
"He had an incredible work ethic. He was also a wonderful man," said J. Carroll "Jake" Boone, a Bolton Hill-based party planner and florist. "There was nothing he wouldn't do to help you."
Family members said the two Marshall brothers started their business in 1977 in their parents' Beechfield garage on Cedargarden Road. They later moved to a Sharp Street warehouse in South Baltimore.
The brothers drove to Florida and brought back terra cotta and glazed ceramic pots that were becoming popular for container gardens on patios and apartment balconies. Over the years, they expanded their business and required larger warehouses to hold their inventory. They also issued annual catalogs of their wares, which also included wire trellises for vines.