BALTIMORE, MD.—This morning, tribute is being paid to a longtime stalwart of the adult industry. Morton Hyatt, owner of adult distribution company Komar, passed away yesterday. The Baltimore-based company closed its doors in February after more than 50 years in business, following Hyatt’s retirement due to personal and medical reasons.
Services are being held this morning at Beth Tfiloh Cemetery in Owings Mill, Maryland. The family will be sitting shiva through Thursday evening.
Friends and family members shared their memories of Hyatt on the memorial page hosted by Sol Levinson & Bros. Funeral Services, painting a portrait of a man who donated his time and energy to his community.
One of his signature contributions was the annual Turkey Trot event, which began more than 30 years ago when Hyatt was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. An avid runner, he decided to turn his running group into a fund-raising powerhouse. The first Trot raised $300 for the charity. By 2013 it had grown to 1,500 participants who raised more than $46,000. The money was donated to Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland Medical System to assist in the search for a cure. To date the event has raised more than $950,000 for the cause.
Komar was a major player in the adult industry, from its beginnings in the magazine pack market to eventually widening its reach into adult novelties, magazines, DVDs and lingerie.
Hyatt joined Komar as a partner in the 1980s, and then bought out original owner Sam Boltansky in the 2000s. In 2015, the company moved to a 100,000-square-foot headquarters in the historic mill section of Baltimore.
Hyatt is survived by wife Harriet Hyatt; children Helen Turner and Adrianne Foreman; sister Susan Gillick; and grandchildren Daniel Turner, Seth Goldstein and Alexandra Goldstein.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Or donations can be made online.
