Burt Meyer, Chicago toymaker behind classics like Lite-Brite, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, has died at 99

Burt Meyer brought toy joy to baby boomers, Millennials and all the Gens — from Alpha to X to Z.

An inventor, designer and artist, Meyer, whose work contributed to Chicago becoming a vibrant center of toy design, died Oct. 30 at a West suburban retirement community. He was 99.

He helped create a pre-video game monoculture among kids who clamored for the classic toys and games he worked on, including Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots, Lite-Brite, Toss Across, Mr. Machine and Mouse Trap, which was one of the first three-dimensional board games.

They were produced by a toy studio that rivaled Santa’s workshop: Marvin Glass & Associates, which operated in Chicago from the 1940s into the 1980s.

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