TWICE Staff On Feb 11 2013 - 1:00am

SDI Founder Harry Franco, 80, Dies

RAHWAY, N.J. — Harry I. Franco, one of the founders of SDI Technologies and a member of its board of directors, has died at the age of 80.

Franco, whose company was a longtime exhibitor at International CES, was also mayor of Deal, N.J., according to the Asbury Park Press. Last year, Franco was re-elected to the borough’s Board of Commissioners and then selected by commissioners to be mayor, the website reported.

Founded in 1956 with Saul E. Ashkenazi, who died in August 2011, SDI Technologies designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of CE products and several key brands including iHome, Timex, New Balance, and several others, as well as KIDesigns, that makes a wide variety of electronic toys.

Franco is survived by his wife Ruby, sons Isaac and Jack, daughters Rhonda and Alana, sisters Grace and Sally.