Andrew I. Bergman

BERGMAN Andrew I. Bergman Noted designer in toy industry, of Mountain Lakes, 57 Andrew I. Bergman, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away on Aug. 21, 2007, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, New York, after succumbing to an infection. He was 57. A memorial celebration of Andrews life will be held on Thursday, Aug. 23, at his home, located at 61 Tower Hill Rd., Mountain Lakes, from 4 to 6 p.m. His request was that no one wear black to the celebration. Born in Appleton, Wis., Mr. Bergman lived for 11 years in East Aurora, N.Y., before moving to Mountain Lakes 24 years ago. He attended Carnegie Mellon University and received a degree from Southern Illinois University, where he taught with the prolific innovator, Buckminster Fuller. He then spent 11 years working at Fisher-Price Toys in East Aurora, N.Y., where he was head designer in the Infant and Toddler Department. It was there that he met and married his wife of 33 years, Martha Dwyer. He then moved to Mountain Lakes, where he continued his career and designed the FisherPrice PXL 2000, a revolutionary camera that has been used in major motion pictures and has developed a cult following among young filmmakers. In 1992, he formed the Bergman Design Consortium, where he, along with other talented designers, became a force in the toy design industry. Along with his business pursuits he spent many summers at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, with his wife, pursuing his passion for design and art. Andrew was a founder of the Roycrofters-at-Large in East Aurora, N.Y., and was also on the founding board of the Craftsman Farms, Parsippany. He was also a passionate collector of arts and crafts furniture as well as many contemporary art furniture created by many of his closest friends. He is survived by his wife, Martha (nee Dwyer); a daughter, Juliana Bergman of Denville; his beloved grandson, Caleb Aaron, also of Denville; his parents, Stuart and Shirlee (nee Grenadier) Bergman of Old Bethpage, N.Y.; his sister, Beth Polazzo, and her companion, Howard Toepfer of Brooklyn; a nephew, Mathew Polazzo, and his wife, Linda Fan, also of Brooklyn, and their daughter, Naomi Fan Polazzo, welcomed Aug. 20, 2007. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made in his name to the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, P.O. Box 518, Deer Isle, Maine 04627. Arrangements are by the Mackey Funeral Home, 107 Essex Ave., Boonton.