Walt Disney daughter Diane Miller dies at 79
Inspiration behind theme parks was determined to leave behind a tribute to Walt the man, not just a corporate genius
Diane Disney Miller, Walt Disney's daughter and one of his inspirations for building the Disneyland theme park, has died at her home in Napa, California. She was 79.
The cause was complications from a fall, said Andi Wang, spokeswoman for the Walt Disney Family Museum.
"As the beloved daughter of Walt Disney and one of his inspirations for creating Disneyland, she holds a special place in the history of The Walt Disney Co. and in the hearts of fans everywhere," Robert Iger, the company's president and CEO, said. "She will be remembered for her grace and generosity and tireless work to preserve her father's legacy."
Miller, the eldest daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney, was born on December 18, 1933. In later life, she remembered her father as a man who was caring and patient with his children.
"He'd take me and my sister Sharon to the merry-go-round at Griffith Park and stand there all day waiting until we were ready to go," Miller said in 1998. "As he stood there, he kept thinking there should be more for parents and children to do together, and the idea for Disneyland was born."
Miller founded the Walt Disney Family Museum, which opened in 2009 in San Francisco, as a tribute to her family's legacy. One of her concerns was that her father's name had become associated more with a corporate identity than the man himself.
She also played a key role in the completion of the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, a project started with a US$50 million gift from her mother.