Greg Hyman, my dear friend of more than 40 years and nearby neighbor for more than 20 years, and inventor of more than 90 licensed toys and games, and holder of 17 patents, passed away peacefully at his home in Boca Raton, FL, on May 1, 2026. Greg was 78 years old, but always young at heart.

In 1957, 10-year-old he issued a hand-printed flyer to the third and fourth graders at his New Rochelle, NY, elementary school. It was titled “Learn to Invent.”

His journey to the North Pole was not direct. Greg, an electronic engineer, first went into business, at age 16, outfitting neighborhood homes with crude security systems. Then he was hired to do read-outs, lock-outs, buzzers, and bells for Ron Greenberg Productions in New York City, a company that specialized in TV game shows. While there he backed into the toy and game industry in partnership with Greenberg’s brother, Larry. A special sound effects device Greg designed for a TV show pilot became, through a series of serendipitous events, a toy called Major Morgan (Playskool). Hyman/Greenberg next hit with Alphie and Alphie II (Playskool), a child’s first electronic learning toy.

In 1996, Greg made the whole world laugh when he co-created Tickle Me Elmo. That Christmas, TME mania swept across the country. The toy was in such demand that Greg said he had trouble getting one. His giggling Sesame Street Muppet won the heart of America. It not only appealed to preschoolers; it brought out the three-year-old in kids of all ages.

Among his most successful products: Tickle Me Elmo (Tyco/F-P), Electronic Talking Barney (Hasbro), Baby All Gone (Kenner), Alphie the Robot (Playskool), Major Morgan, The Electronic Organ (Playskool) and his UCSS Speech Technology (Hasbro).

Greg was a founding member of the Sunshine Santas, a tight knit group of independent toy and game inventors residing in south Florida.

Greg left footprints in many hearts, including mine, my wife Sheryl’s and his “niece” Bettie’s. He is survived by his loving partner of 22 years, Deborah Nelson.