Disney Legend Ollie Johnston dies at 95

[mycroft16]

Goodbye Ollie.

He was truly an amazing man and a truly great animator. He will be missed by all.

[Junthor]

This is Sad news.....


RIP

[Ryan Imagineer]

I sent him an email yesterday like 10 mintues before he died for an autograph. What bad luck. RIP Ollie

[Snookie]

Very sad news. My prayers go out to his family.

[DL_CRAZE]

I forget, was Ollie the last of the nine?

[DL_CRAZE]

God bless you ollie, you were one of the best, sad to see u go.

[Legally Brunette]

R.I.P. Ollie. You truly left an indelible footprint in the world of animation

[Tom Chaney]

Rest in peace, Ollie. Perhaps you have rejoined your life-long pal Frank somewhere beyond. Say hello to Uncle Walt for me.

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by DL_CRAZE

I forget, was Ollie the last of the nine?

Johnston was the last of Walt Disney's so-called Nine Old Men.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...304af739e80fcc

[ALIASd]

John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and a longtime friend to Johnston, said: "Aside from being one of the greatest animators of all time, he and Frank [Thomas] were so incredibly giving and spent so much time creating the bible of animation -- 'Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life' -- which has had such a huge impact on so many animators over the years."

In addition to his work as an animator, Johnston was a lifelong railroad enthusiast, a passion he shared with Disney; Ward Kimball, another of the Nine Old Men; and "Toy Story" director John Lasseter. In 1946, he built a one-inch scale steam-driven train and a track that ran around his yard in Flintridge. Twenty-two years later, he bought a seven-ton 1901 H.K. Porter steam locomotive, which he lovingly restored and christened the Marie E., after his wife. The full-sized train ran on a half-mile of track at the vacation property the Johnston and Thomas families shared in the hills near Julian, Calif.

Johnston's wife of 63 years, the former Marie Worthey, died in 2005; Thomas died in 2004 at 92.

Johnston is survived by his two sons: Ken Johnston and his wife Carolyn; and Rick Johnston and his wife Teya. The funeral will be private.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to CalArts, the World Wildlife Fund or National Resources Defense Council.

The Disney Studio is planning a life celebration with details to be announced.

http://www.latimes.com/

[Walt's Girl]

Goodbye Ollie. You will be missed, but the work you have left us will continue to inspire and entertain generations to come.

[mikeland]

This is so sad. What a huge loss.

[tinkermonkey]

I have to agree with the sentiment of feeling kicked in the stomach. And crying. It truly signifies the end of an era, even though the era ended so long ago.

I do love the imagery of Walt and the 9 having a drink together now. Can you just imagine that conversation?

[loaloa]

You can see a nice tribute to Ollie Johnston with a great three part video with Ollie himself talking about his animator career at:

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/20...ribute-to.html

[disneytim]

A tribute to Ollie Johnston at the Disney Legends Plaza at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank:



Thank you slim22 for providing the photo.