MORRIE YOHAI

Morrie Yohai, born March 4, 1920, was president of Old London Foods, the company that developed a cheese-flavored cornmeal snack in 1960 that he named Cheez Doodles. Originally founded by his father and his father’s cousin in the early 1920s and then called King Kone, the company first produced ice cream cones and later popcorn, cheese crackers and Melba Toast. As a result of its success, the company was purchased by Borden, which also made Cracker Jack and Drake’s cakes, and he became senior vice president. One of his responsibilities was deciding which tiny toys would be included as prizes in Cracker Jack. He was also professor of Marketing and Management at New York Institute of Technology and became dean of its business school. A pilot in the Marines in WWII, poet, businessman and professor, he was a true Renaissance man and beloved by many at TBE. The family joined in 1959 and remained members for more than 50 years. His funeral service was held at TBE on July 30, 2010, at age 90, and his family continued as congregants until five years later when his wife, Phyllis, passed.