Derb — just amazing how creative Americans are. Richard Knerr, whose obituary you cite, invented not only the hula hoop — still popular half a century later — but also the best summer backyard toy — Slip ‘N Slide, and the great American classic — the Frisbee. With that last invention he also created a whole new sport, not to mention philosphy of life, recently noted in the annual Washington Post neologism contest:
Frisbeetarianism (n.): The belief that, when you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
He was a truly great American.