His wife, Margaret May Marks, was the sister of Robert L. May, who wrote the original story of Rudolph.

Marks lived on West 11th Street in Greenwich Village and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City.

[3] In addition to his songwriting, Marks founded St. Nicholas Music in 1949, and served as director of ASCAP from 1957 to 1961.

After the true contestant was revealed, Marks identified himself as the composer of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

[citation needed] ** Burl Ives released "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Silver and Gold," two songs he sang as his character Sam the Snowman, as singles for the 1965 holiday season, the year after the TV production.