Lillian Disney
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Lillian Marie Bounds (February 15, 1900, Spalding, Idaho – December 16, 1997, Los Angeles, California, aged 97) was the wife of Walt Disney from 1925 until his death in 1966. She later married John L. Truyens in 1969 and remained married to him until his death in 1981.
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[edit] Early Years
Lillian was born in Spalding, Idaho. She grew up in Lapwai, Idaho, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation where her father worked as a blacksmiths and federal marshal.[1] She had short brown hair, a slender body, and was thought to be very attractive. Lillian was working at the Disney Studio in "ink and paint" when she met Walt. She took deep pride that Walt would drive the other girls home before her, even though her stop was the closest.[citation needed]
[edit] First Marriage
Lillian and Walt Disney married in 1925 in Idaho at her parents' house, however, Walt's parents could not attend. She wore a dress which she had made herself. Her cousin recalled that she giggled nervously throughout the service. She and Walt had two daughters - Diane Marie Disney and Sharon Mae Disney, the latter of whom was adopted. She was the aunt of Roy Edward Disney and had seven grandchildren, Chris Miller, Joanna Miller, Tamara Scheer, Jennifer Miller-Goff, Walter Elias Disney Miller, Ronald Miller and Victoria Brown.
Her filmography includes work as an ink artist on the film Plane Crazy. She is credited with having named her husband's most famous character, Mickey Mouse, during a train trip from New York to California in 1928. Walt showed a drawing of the cartoon mouse to his wife and told her that he was going to name it "Mortimer Mouse". She replied that the name sounded "too baby like" and she was very proud to have suggested the name "Mickey Mouse" instead of Mortimer.[2]
[edit] Life after Walt
In 1987, Lillian Disney pledged a $50 million gift towards the construction of a new concert hall. After many delays, the Walt Disney Concert Hall opened in 2003, six years after her death.
In the 1990s, reflecting on her 41 year marriage to Walt Disney, she said "We shared a wonderful, exciting life, and we loved every minute of it. He was a wonderful husband to me and wonderful and joyful father and grandfather".
Lillian Disney suffered a stroke on December 15, 1997, exactly 31 years after the death of Walt Disney. She died the following morning at her home, aged 97.
[edit] References
- ^ Disney Legends - Lillian Disney
- ^ Walt Disney: Conversations (Conversations With Comic Artists Series) by Kathy Merrockobamya Jackson with Walt Disney, ISBN 1-57806-713-8 page 120
