Henry Orenstein, 98, Dies; Force Behind Transformers and Poker on TV

Alan Hassenfeld, a former chairman of Hasbro, told Newsweek that Mr. Orenstein was “absolutely the catalyst that made this happen.” He added, “To be able to take a car and, with a little bit of dexterity, change it into another toy, that was something magical.”

Mr. Orenstein also sold toy manufacturers on his own ideas, among them Dolly Surprise, a doll whose ponytail grew more than three inches when her right arm was raised, which Hasbro bought.

Mr. Orenstein was born on Oct. 13, 1923, in Hrubieszow, Poland. His father, Lejb, was a grain merchant, and his mother, Golda (Strum) Orenstein, was a homemaker.

The Nazi invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, prompted Henry, his father and his brothers Felek and Sam (another brother, Fred, was in Warsaw) to flee to Soviet-occupied Poland, leaving his mother and sister, Hanka, behind. They spent more than two years there before returning to Hrubieszow.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/18/business/henry-orenstein-dead.html