Rest In Play - 2020 - 2029

Pauline Kerrison passed away peacefully on Christmas Day in 2023, surrounded by family. Pauline spent most of her life involved with Kerrison Toys, her family owned toy store in Norwich, Norfolk. B...oasting the largest and widest range of toys in the area, from games and puzzles to construction sets and video game consoles. Friends and family describe her as "warm and welcoming, "one of a kind," and "one of the industry's diamonds," and she will be deeply missed by family, friends, and regular customers alike.Show more

Pam Dobson passed away on September 29, 2023. Pam and her husband Peter owned Ely's Toys of Woodford Green for many years. Ely's Toys was a popular local toy shop. People came to know Pam and Peter ov...er the years, and many customers would visit the shop to not only buy toys, but to stop and chat with the couple. The shop closed in 2001, but is remembered fondly by community members. Pam and Peter married in 1958 and moved to London. A few years later, they took over Ely's Toys, and grew it from a very small business into a much larger toy shop, even buying up the premises next door.Show more

Herb Feldman was born on April 1, 1942 and died on July 29, 2023 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Herb was the founder of Feldman & Assoc., a good athlete, and a passionate Yankees fan.

Video game voice actor Ken Lally has passed away at the age of 52 on October 10, 2023. Lally voiced NPCs in video games such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. He had mai...n roles in Mortal Kombat 9 as Smoke, Shinnok, and Goro, in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 as Robert Kendo, and in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus as Wayne Woods. He also did guest roles in Heroes and Star Trek: Enterprise.Show more

Japanese artist Yoshitaka Tamaki passed away in July of this year from lung cancer. Tamaki was born in October of 1967 and was primarily known for being a character designer on Climax Entertainment's ...games, notably the Shining series. Tamaki's debut game was as an outline and storyboard artist on 1991's Shining in the Darkness. He also wrote and drew art for 1992's Landstalker and designed 1997's FEDA 2: White Surge of the Platoon. In 1997, he founded Salamander Factor, which helped on titled including Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and Project X Zone. In 1991, he joined Swallowtails, which is credited with development on 2020's Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions. His final credited game is 2007's Shining Force EXA.Show more

David A. Miller passed away at the age of 91 on October 24, 2023. David attended the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) and NYU Law School before serving in the Coast Guard. In 1967, David and h...is brother Richard founded Eden Toys. Together, they built the company into a leading manufacturer of infant and preschool stuffed toys. Notable licensed products include Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Paddington Bear. In 1990, David became president of the Toy Manufacturers Association, later called The Toy Association. As president, he pioneered national and international efforts to curry favor for accepting China into the World Trade Organization and granting the country permanent Most Favored Nation in the US. He was an advocate of NAFTA and zero tariffs for toys, as well as safety and ethical manufacturing standards. He also played a role in the development of the Fashion Institute of Technology's Toy Design Program. In 2002, David was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.Show more

Russell Dever, the founder and managing director of Those Licensing People passed away on August 11, 2021 after a long battle with depression. Russell founded Those Licensing People in 2013 and ove...r the last decade has worked with companies including Sooty, The Magic Roundabout, Roobard & Custard, and The Little Prince. Aside from licensing, Russell was also well respected in the children's broadcast industry, having created and produced a number of children's TV series, including Little Monsters. Russell was married to his wife, Janine, and together they had daughters Abigail and Leah. In 2017, Russell's youngest daughter, Leah, joined the business and will continue her father's work.Show more

Klash Singh, a sales manager at HTI Toys, passed away on Thursday, July 27. Klash spent over 20 years in the toy industry, working at HTI for a number of years as well as Kandy Toys.

Joan Packard-Luks was born on March 14, 1946 and passed away on September 4, 2023. Joan was the former President of Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment. Previously, she worked as the Direct...or of Licensing at GUND, where she fostered partnerships with Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, and others. She also founded her own company, The Serenata Group. Joan was very involved in advocating for the advancement of women through a variety of opportunities in leadership, networking, and education. Joan herself was a mentor to many and gave advice and to support to women everywhere, working diligently toward the goal of a more equitable workplace for women in the industry.Show more

Marilyn Maher passed away on January 2, 2023, in Henderson, Nevada at age 71. Maher work many hats throughout her life, at one point serving as the Executive Director of the YWCA in Freeport, IL, w...here she was recognized for running critical women's programming. Maher also served as the Chief Financial Officer at ACD Distribution in Middleton, Wisconsin. She worked alongside her son, Robert Maher, Jr. Maher enjoyed traveling, visiting many countries across all seven continents with her husband. By air, sea, and land, the pair visited many places, including the Galapagos, Australia, and Antarctica. Marilyn and Robert were married in 1977, and together they had two children. She also had two stepchildren, and the entire family cherished the time when they could all gather in one place.Show more