The father of world's first action figure G.I. Joe, Donald Levine, has passed away. He was 86.
According to his wife, Levine, who was battling cancer, took his last breath at the Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island, Fox News reported.
They were about to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, she added.
Levine, who had served in the Army had admitted to have came up with the idea of '111/2-inch articulated figure with 21 moving parts' as a way to honor veterans, and had developed the toy with his team as Hasbro's head of research and development.
The toy, which hit shelves in the 1964, had gained immense popularity and has spawned comic books, cartoons, and movies since then.
Levine, who is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren will be paid final respects at Temple Beth-El in Providence on May 25.