I am sad to report the passing of Lloyd Rakusen whom many of our readers will recall as a thoroughly nice man.
Always immaculately dressed, I first met Lloyd in 1979 on my first trip to Hong Kong. Speaking to his good friend Tony Belford, Tony confirmed that Lloyd was a great product man with an excellent eye and recalls a Sunday in Hong Kong where Lloyd, Tony and a number of colleagues were staying.
Lloyd had just returned from a trip to a Toy Fair in Tokyo and said to Tony “Will you put this in your ear.” Tony duly did as he was told. Tony continues “I’d never heard anything like it, beautiful clear music.” You have to remember, this was the early eighties. Lloyd had just returned to Hong Kong with the very first ‘Walkman’.
Sadly, I don’t think Lloyd had managed to get the U.K. distribution rights.
My personal memory of Lloyd was of one summer evening in July during the Harrogate Gift Fair, as a Publisher I always managed to wangle a few social events, normally polite events with a few drinks and canapes. Lloyd told me to turn up at his home in shorts and an old t-shirt for a convivial evening that included a ‘Cherry spitting’ competition – what a great event, large black Maraschino cherries with a marked out pitch. Great memories!
Up until a few years ago Lloyd was still running the London Marathon, always very fit, he is a sad loss to all who knew him and leaves two sons Philip and David along with 5 grandchildren Tyler, Bobbi-Joe, Zane, Valentina and Sebastian-Lloyd.
Malcolm Naish
