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A Cork Pops in blister packaging

proclaiming this "The Ultimate Wine

Opener!" The package has a 1998

Copyright date.

Gold and silver metallic versions of the

Cork Pops were offered with "Style takes

on a whole new meaning each time you

reach for and use your Cork Pops Metallic."

In December 2001 Linda Bridges, Cork Pops Public Relations, wrote: "George Federighi,

Sr. passed away in September 2001. The business continues in the tradition he

established --- in fact, we are in the process of patent approval for another wine opener

which he and his son were working on. George Sr. continued to work each day ---

though in his 90's. His mind and creative abilities were never impaired. A fall which

broke his kneecap resulted in his first hospital visit in over 35 years --- and it was that

visit that uncovered pervasive cancer.

George Sr. passed peacefully in his sleep 5 days into his hospitalization after letting his

family know that it was time for him to move to another workshop and requesting that

he be allowed to go without suffering the indignities and malaise of surgery and

chemotherapy. He passed just before dawn following an evening spent working on a

device with his 10 year old grandson to remove ketchup from a stubborn bottle!"