Disney Legend Xavier “X” Atencio, a former Imagineer and Disney animator, passed away on September 10 at the age of 98. X was responsible for helping bring to life a number of beloved Disney parks attractions including Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, as well as such animated classics as Pinocchio and Fantasia. Born …
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Legendary Disney Imagineer Martin A. “Marty” Sklar passed away in his Hollywood Hills home on Thursday. He was 83. During an illustrious career spanning 54 years, Marty worked closely with Walt Disney and was instrumental in creating, enhancing and expanding Disney’s creative vision. Named a Disney Legend in 2001, he is best remembered and revered …
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By D23 Team We’re sad to report that international film distribution pioneer and Disney Legend Harry Archinal passed away on Saturday, May 13, 2017, at the age of 88. D23 spoke with Dave Smith, Walt Disney Archives founder and former chief archivist, who said of his fellow Disney Legend: “I worked with Harry until he retired …
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By D23 Team Tyrus “Ty” Wong, inspiring visual artist and Disney Legend, passed away on December 30, 2016. He was 106 years old. “It’s hard to imagine a world of animation without the inspirational works of Tyrus Wong,” Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline said. “Through his delicate and sophisticated creations—from pastels and watercolors to …
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by D23 Team Disney Legend Charlie Ridgway, longtime Disney Parks press and publicity leader, passed away on December 24, 2016, at his home in Longwood, Florida. He was 93. “I had the pleasure of knowing Charlie Ridgway, and he was a true Disney Legend who was known for his boundless creativity,” Walt Disney World Resort …
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D23 is sorry to report that Disney Legend Jack Lindquist, longtime Disney Parks executive and the first person to serve as president of Disneyland, passed away on February 28, 2016, at his home in Anaheim, California. He was 88. “Jack Lindquist was a Disney original in every sense. He started his career as Disneyland’s first advertising …
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We are sorry to report that Disney Legend Al Konetzni, artist and character merchandising “idea man,” passed away in Bradenton, Florida, on February 8. He was 100 years old. Born May 19, 1915, in New York City—where he attended the Pratt Institute of Art—Konetzni joined Walt Disney Productions in 1953, working out of the Madison …
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Disney Legend Carson Van Osten—who began his Disney career as an illustrator and who would, over the next 45 years, hold a variety of creative positions at Disney Consumer Products and the Disney Publishing Group—passed away on December 22. He arrived at Walt Disney Productions in 1970, beginning as an illustrator of Mickey Mouse comic …
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Disney Legend Kevin Corcoran, best known for his role in Disney’s 1957 classic live-action film Old Yeller and for his portrayal of Moochie on the Mickey Mouse Club, passed away in Burbank, California, on October 6, 2015. He was 66. Born in Santa Monica, California, on June 10, 1949, Corcoran—the fifth of eight children—first appeared …
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Dean Jones, the star of such iconic Disney live-action films of the 1960s and 1970s as That Darn Cat!, The Love Bug, and The Shaggy D.A., passed away in Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 1, 2015. He was 84. A native of Decatur, Alabama, Jones moved to New Orleans as a 15-year-old to make a …
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