It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Lori Rubin, a cherished member of the Adventure Media & Events family who served as our Controller for more than a decade. 

After fighting through a cancer diagnosis for more than a year and a half, Lori passed away on March 26 with her loving husband and two daughters by her side. 

Known in our office as “Mama Lori,” she treated everyone at our company like family. A fierce protector, she always led with her heart, took an interest in our lives, and shared so many special moments with each of us.

Her office was a safe haven when we sought a friend or just needed a chat, and we were always met with her undivided attention, warmth, and unfiltered advice. 

We will always remember her profound love of Barbie, and we all took so much delight in presenting her with new dolls to add to her collection. We once threw her a Barbie-themed birthday party in the office, and the decorations stayed up for years to come, which showed us all just how much the gesture meant to her. 

Lori was tenacious about showing up for people. From special days to every day, she was always ready to stand up for anyone in her circle.

While we worked with her every day, our partners across the industry also got to know her over the last 11+ years. Lori leaves behind not only an incredible professional legacy but also a personal one — a reminder of the power of compassion, dedication, and genuine human connection.

Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and all who were lucky enough to know her. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered. 

Donations can be made in her honor to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at mskcc.org

About the author

Marissa Silva

Marissa Silva

Marissa Silva is editor-in-chief of the Pop Insider and the Toy Insider, the leading consumer holiday gift guide and toy review and news website. As a professional toy reviewer and an industry expert, she consistently reports on toy, entertainment, and pop culture trends and hot products. In addition to digital content management, Marissa contributes feature-length articles to the Pop Insider and leading toy industry trade magazine The Toy Book, providing retailers, manufacturers, and licensors with information on the latest in toy news. Marissa has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, ABC World News Now, MSNBC, CBS, NY1, WPIX, and more. A board game fanatic and professional toy reviewer, she spends most of her free time shopping for superhero T-shirts, crushing at Mario Kart, and anxiously awaiting her Hogwarts acceptance letter. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @thattoygirl.

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