Corky Philip H. Steiner

STEINER, Corky Philip H., age 83, passed away March 7, 2026, beloved husband of the late Ellen (nee Kuby) Steiner, loving father of Meredith (Eric) Burns, Ricky (Frannie) Steiner, and Joseph “Joey” (Jessica) Steiner, dear step-father to Will and Aaron Arnzen, caring grandfather of Graham, Bailey, and Evelina Burns, Lily and JJ Steiner, and a young Jedi due in May, brother of the late Rick Steiner, uncle of Ace and the late Duke Steiner, cousin of John (Margo King) Steiner, and brother-in-law to Mark (Pam) Kuby and Mimi (the late Jerry) Lerner. Corky is most-known for his distinguished career starting in 1967 with Kenner Toys. He was the co-vice president of Hasbro Toys – Latin America since 1991, and was also the director of the Kenner Toys export center since 1983. Before these titles, Corky worked in Latin America and in the United States for the Kenner Products Company from 1982 to 2000. In 1976, he was senior project manager of special sales. Behind Kenner’s story were families, and at the center of one of those families was Corky Steiner. Corky was born into a remarkable legacy. His father, Phil Steiner, helped build Kenner into one of the most creative and influential toy companies in America. What made Corky special was that he never treated that legacy as something to simply inherit. He treated it as something to care for, protect, and carry forward. Kenner was built on imagination—the belief that play matters, that creativity matters, that childhood matters. If you knew Corky, you realized something important: those values didn’t just live in the toys, they lived in how he loved his family. Corky was a 1961 graduate of his beloved Walnut Hills High School. He then went on to Tulane University for his Bachelors of Arts which he received in 1965, and was the president of his class. Following Tulane, he went on to University of Chicago for his Masters in Business Administration which he earned in 1967. He was an active leader in many communities. He served as President of the Walnut Hills Alumni Association, he was the former president of Losantiville Country Club, he was a member of Tulane University’s Omicron Delta Kappa honorary society, served on the board of directors for Jewish Vocational Service, the Jewish Federation, and The Boy Scouts of America, former chair of Cub-O-Rama, and former president of Camp Livingston. Above all, Corky was most proud of his family. He loved and adored his wife, Ellen, who passed in 2024. He was proud of his children—Ricky, Joey, and Meredith—not simply for what they did, but for who they became. The same goes for Will, Aaron, and Ace. His legacy continues on with his lovely grandchildren, Lily, JJ, Graham, Bailey, Evelina, and another boy on the way. Kenner made toys for childhood, but family is what makes childhood meaningful. Corky believed legacy wasn’t about buildings or corporations, but about people the values we pass down, the stories we tell, and the love we show. Kenner created toys that children treasured, but Corky created a family that treasures him. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 10:00AM at Weil Kahn Funeral Home, 8350 Cornell Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45249 with visitation beginning at 9:00AM. Services will be LIVESTREAMED. Burial will follow at United Jewish Cemetery of Walnut Hills, 3400 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45207. Following funeral services, the family will receive friends at Losantiville Country Club, 3097 Losantiville Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45213. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Corky and Rick Steiner Family Foundation, c/o Joey Steiner, 4044 Rose Hill Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45229. The family will disperse any donations in Corky’s name to select dementia initiatives. Donations may also be made in Corky’s name to Caringkind NYC, UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, or the UCSF Clelland Lab. Corky would say to each and every one of you: May the Force be with you.

Tributes

Corky Philip H. Steiner

February 9, 1943 - March 7, 2026