Toys R Us Founder Charles Lazarus Passes Away at 94, Weeks After His Company Files For Bankruptcy

Charles Lazarus- the founder of Toys R Us, the mega toy retailer has passed away at the age of 94, just one week after his company declared that it would be closing forever. The popular businessman started selling toys in 1957 in large shops after he had returned from his duty of serving his country in military service.

His firm "Toys R Us" tweeted the news of his death on Thursday. It was only last week that his firm had announced that it would be closing all its shops in US and UK markets and seek protection under bankruptcy said a report in BBC. This company tweeted an emotional message for its founder:

The company had tweeted a thank you message on March 9 and had tried to give its customers strength by saying that the shops were open where they could be and appreciated all the support that came their way. "To our loyal customers: We’ve seen an amazing outpouring of love and support in recent days and we truly appreciate it. Our stores are open for business, ready to bring joy to children wherever we can, and to help new and expecting parents navigate raising a family."

The BBC report mentions that a 1986 profile in the Atlantic Monthly magazine called Lazarus "the person most responsible for loosening Santa's grip on the toy business". Lazarus is also believed to have said that "toys are a great kind of thing to sell, because they don't last that long". Little had he known that this sentence would stand true for his company years later. The phrase "they don't last long" could not be used for his toys though, because they serve as a memorabilia of childhood for millions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2018 06:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).