Isaac Heller

Isaac "Ike" Heller (July 23, 1926 – March 7, 2015) was an American toy manufacturer, the co-founder of Remco, with his cousin Saul Robbins.

Isaac Heller
BornJuly 23, 1926
Ellenville, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 7, 2015(2015-03-07) (aged 88)
Scotch Plains, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationToy manufacturer
Known forCo-founder of Remco
Spouse(s)Helaine Hirsh
Children4 daughters
Parent(s)Morris Heller and Yetta Shapiro
RelativesSaul Robbins (cousin)

Personal life

Isaac Heller was born on July 23, 1926 in Ellenville, New York, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Morris Heller and Yetta Shapiro.[1][2][3] Heller moved with his family to Brooklyn, where he attended Brooklyn Technical High School as part of the class of 1943; he donated $1 million to his alma mater and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2013.[4] After attending Cooper Union, he served in the United States Navy at the end of World War II, where he worked on the repair of electronic equipment and built toys using excess work materials.[1]

Career

In 1949, he co-founded the toy company Remco in Newark, New Jersey, with his cousin Saul Robbins.[5][6] The name was a contraction of "REMote COntrol", and its first products were children's walkie-talkies.[6] Building on his experience as a U.S. Navy electronics technician, they started by buying large amounts of military surplus and "transforming it into toys that could zoom, soar or otherwise move."[1]

Until the 1960s, they only made toys for boys, and they were the first toy company to use television advertising.[6] Their toys included the Whirlybird helicopter, the Barracuda atomic submarine, the Johnny Reb cannon, the Dick Tracy wrist radio, the Screaming Mee Mee-e rifle and Mr. Kelly's Automatic Car Wash.[1]

Personal life

In 1953, Heller married Helaine Hirsh, and they had four daughters.[2][1]

Heller died at his home in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, on March 7, 2015, and was survived by his wife and four daughters, Audrey Romberg, Laurie Kaufman, Hollie Heller and Hillary Granfield.[1]

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References
  1. Fox, Margalit (10 March 2015). "Isaac Heller, Co-Founder of Remco and Toymaker to a Generation, Dies at 88". Retrieved 26 December 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
  2. Inc., Toy Industry Association. "Isaac Heller, Prolific Toymaker and Co-Founder of Remco Industries, Dies at 88". www.toyassociation.org. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  3. "Isaac Heller, Man Behind Whirlybird Helicopter, Dies Aged 88". Haaretz. March 11, 2015.
  4. "Seven Inducted Into Brooklyn Tech Alumni Hall Of Fame", Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation. Accessed December 27, 2017. "Isaac 'Ike' Heller ’43, founder of Remco Toys and Heller Industrial Parks; philanthropist: Mr. Heller founded the iconic 1950s and 1960s toy company Remco, and later started what has grown into one of the nation’s largest privately held industrial park companies. A generous philanthropist, he recently donated $1million to Brooklyn Tech."
  5. "Saul Robbins's Obituary on The Star-Ledger". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  6. "Made in Jersey: Remco Toys - remote control toys were 'controlled' nearby in NJ". Retrieved 26 December 2017.


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