George R. Ditomassi, former Milton Bradley chairman and Hasbro executive, died on May 31 at the age of 86, it was reported by MassLive.
Ditomassi spent more than 40 years at Milton Bradley — both before and after it was acquired by Hasbro, Inc. in 1984 — where he worked to bring worldwide recognition to game brands including Candy Land, Life, and Chutes and Ladders.
According to his obituary, Ditomassi’s career at Milton Bradley began when he joined the company as a production trainee in 1960. In 1970, he became Vice President of Milton Bradley and General Manager of the Whiting Division.
In 1982, Ditomassi was elected to Milton Bradley’s Board of Directors, and in 1985 was promoted to President of Milton Bradley.
In 1990, he was named Chairman of Milton Bradley and Chief Operating Officer, Games and International, at Hasbro, Inc. Between 1996 and 1997 he served as President of Hasbro International.
In 2004, Ditomassi was inducted into the Toy Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
Following his tenure at Milton Bradley and Hasbro, he went on to become CEO of Enesco, CEO of Shop at Home Company, and CEO of Summit America Television.
Ditomassi was the recipient of several awards throughout his life, including the Business West Business Person of the Year; University of Massachusetts Distinguished Alumnus Award; The Pynchon Award for Outstanding Civic Contributions; UNICO Man of the Year Award; American Cancer Society’s Omar T. Pace Award; Pioneer Valley Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award; Holyoke Community College Distinguished Service Award; Urban League Coveted Community Builder Award; Junior Achievement Free Enterprise Hall of Fame Award; and the National Conference of Human Relations Award.
Additionally, he was involved in his community as Chairman of the Western Massachusetts Children’s Miracle Network; National Chairman of the Child Welfare League of America; and the Corporate Fundraising Chairman of the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield. He also served as Director of the Business Friends of the Arts; as a member of the board of Directors of the Basketball Hall of Fame; a Trustee at Springfield College; a member of the UMass Chancellor’s Executive Committee; and later as a Trustee of the UMass Foundation Board. He was an incorporator of the Community United Way, a Trustee of Baystate Medical Center, Chairman of the Westmass Area Development Corporation, and an appointed member of the Inspector General Council of Massachusetts.