Roy E. Disney: 1930 – 2009
Roy E. Disney, nephew to Walt Disney and president emeritus of his uncle’s empire, died yesterday in a California hospital. According to a spokeswoman, his death came as a result of stomach cancer. He was 79.
Born in Los Angeles in 1930, Roy Disney grew up wandering the halls of his uncle’s studio, where he often found himself being used as a test subject by animators. Later, he would help the same animation studio revive itself, facilitating a creative movement that produced family favorites like ”The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.”
More recently, Disney has been known for his tenacious ability to keep top executives in check – he was even referred to as a “real-life Jiminy Cricket: a living conscience who was at times intensely disliked by management for speaking out.” As such, Disney is credited with helping remove two of the company’s chief executives: Ronald W. Miller in 1984 and, 20 years later, Michael Eisner in 2004.
In 1952, Disney got his start as an assistant film editor for “Dragnet,” thus embarking him on an entertainment career that would last for another 50 plus years.
In addition to his involvement in the entertainment business, Disney was also an avid sailor, competing 15 times in the California-to-Hawaii Transpacific Yacht Race, winning the competition in record time in 1999. A record that stood until 2007.
Disney is survived by his wife, ex-wife and four children, and 16 grandchildren.
[photo: Towpilot]
Tags: Disneyland, Dragnet, Roy E. Disney, sailing, stomach cancer, Transpacific Yacht Race