Mark Helman, the founder of Bill's Carpet Fair who appeared in scores of zany television commercials and was a donor to many charities, died of leukemia July 12 at his Pikesville home. He was 80.

Born Morris Helman in Philadelphia, he graduated from Olney High School in 1948. He moved to Baltimore and became a "tin man," a salesman for Air-Tite aluminum windows, doors and siding.

When he learned that carpet weavers were selling 12-foot-wide lengths at prices middle-class buyers could afford, he embraced wall-to-wall carpet sales. He opened a business on Aisquith Street in 1959 and later expanded to Glen Burnie and beyond.

Eventually, the business grew to 30 stores, from Bel Air to Norfolk, Va. He changed the name of his business from Carpet Fair to Bill's Carpet Fair after the birth of his youngest son.

"He was a great salesman because he came from humble beginnings. As a result, he could relate to anybody. He talked their language," said his eldest son, Jeffrey Helman of Lutherville. "He also believed in the products he was selling."

Mr. Helman also invested in bold, outrageous advertising campaigns.

"They were my father's idea," his son said. "He felt there was no such thing as bad publicity. He thought if people notice you, it would translate into sales. He was a man who was full of life and personality, and he put that in his ads."

His ads contained the phrase, "If you need flooring and don't see Bill's, you're making a BIG MISTAKE."

Mr. Helman appeared on camera with a business associate, Rubin Schlechman. They conceived and wrote their material and filmed it at Studio 83 in Timonium.

"We intentionally put humor in them," said Mr. Schlechman of Pikesville. "We wanted to say the world wasn't such a bad place. We also stuck out in the crowd."

Mr. Helman also enjoyed mixing his promotions with charity. When the Baltimore Colts failed to sell out a game in the 1970s and the National Football League refused to televise the game in the local market, he bought up all the unsold seats, distributed them to needy children and their families, and bought the television advertising rights to the game.

He also liked magic tricks and puzzles, and had them made up as promotional giveaways imprinted with the words, "It's no illusion you'll save at Carpet Fair."

Mr. Helman was a member of the board of directors of the Believe in Tomorrow National Children's Foundation, formerly the Grant-a-Wish Foundation.

"He was a generous philanthropist who had a wonderful spirit," said Brian Morrison, the foundation's director. "Mark was an interesting person, always giving and funny, who displayed a positive attitude."

Mr. Morrison recalled Mr. Helman's "constant encouragement" of the charity. "He told me we would grow and be doing great things. And when you have people like him, you do great things."

He recalled their many meetings over the years and how Mr. Helman liked nothing better than finding a place that served a good submarine sandwich.

Mr. Helman also supported the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company, the National Aquarium, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Maryland Zoo, Avon Breast Cancer Walks, The Associated, the National Jewish Fund and the Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters League of Baltimore.

"My father came from modest means and lived a life practicing random acts of kindness," said his daughter, Sherry Silverberg of Pikesville. "He had a heart that was big in so many ways."

Services were held Wednesday at Sol Levinson & Brothers.

In addition to his son and daughter, survivors include his wife of 60 years, the former Betty Spirt; another son, Jeffrey Helman of Owings Mills; two other daughters. Francine Grady of Baltimore and Anne Holstein of Miami; a sister, Ruth Freiberg of Philadelphia; and eight grandchildren.