Discover how they met, what their first kiss was like and how Walt Disney’s relationship developed with the person he decided to share his life with!
Just like in the Walt Disney Company’s fairy tale stories, the company’s co-founder, Walt Disneymet the love of his life unexpectedly, and lived a lasting romance alongside the one he chose to give meaning to the famous phrase “and they lived happily ever after”, which ended several of the studio’s plots.
After all, who was Walt Disney’s great love?
The chosen one was Lillian Bounds! She was born in Idaho in 1899, but moved to Los Angeles at age 24, in December 1923, to live with her older sister, hazel.
When she arrived at her new home, the woman still didn’t have a job lined up — something that changed about a month later, when a colleague, Kathleen Dollardnominated her for a position at Disney studios.
Lilian agreed to carry out the interview (where he met Walt) because the place of work was close to where she lived, and she was happily hired to work at Disney Brothers Cartoon Studios as an inker and painter on January 19, 1924, a date on which it is possible to say that the passion between her and Walt began to blossom.
This is because, as explained by the blog The Walt Disney Family Museum, when Lillian finished work, Walt offered to take her home, always in the company of Kathleen. However, even though the woman’s residence was closer to the studio, Walt He made a point of leaving her for last, spending more time with his loved one.
The first kiss
Over time, Lillian left the position initially hired in order to become a personal secretary for Walt — and it was working directly with the legendary storyteller that their first kiss came about.
One night, when they were working late, as revealed by one of the couple’s daughters, Diane Marie Disney Millerin ‘Story of Walt Disney’, Walt broke off Lillianwho was dictating a text, with a kiss.
‘Suddenly,’ she said, ‘your father leaned over and kissed me.’ ‘What did you do?’ I asked. ‘I blushed,’ said her mother. ‘It was customary back then,’ Diane recalled.
The wedding
After the kiss, it was a matter of time before Lillian It is Walt decide to spend the rest of their lives together, as they married about a year and a half after meeting, on July 13, 1925, at her brother’s home in Lewiston, Idaho.
I wasn’t artistic at all and I wasn’t very good at artwork and painting,” Lillian admitted in Bob Thomas’s biography of Roy Disney, ‘Building a Company.’ “Later, Walt made me his secretary, but I made a lot of mistakes when he dictated. He always said I was so bad he had to marry me.”
Furthermore, their love bore fruit, as in addition to Dianebiological daughter of the couple who celebrated her birthday on December 18, 1933, they adopted another girl, Sharon Mae Disneythe youngest of the family, who was born in 1936.
As The Walt Disney Family Museum blog states, 30 years after exchanging rings, the couple remained happy and, as a result, they threw a huge party with friends and family to celebrate their pearl wedding.
In this ocasion, Walt surprised Lillian. Revealing that he had taken dance classes, he asked her to take a few steps, something he didn’t like doing, but he did, because he knew his wife loved it and would be happy with the attitude, as he recalled. Wally Boag to The Walt Disney Family Museum blog.
Until death do them part
Lillian It is Waltthey were married for 41 years and lived together until December 15, 1966, the date on which Walt passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, due to cancer.
After the death of Walt, Lillian remarried, in 1969, with John L. Truyenswith whom she remained until the end of his life, in 1981. Lillian She never married again and, 16 years later, on December 16, 1997, she passed away. Posthumously, in 2003, she was named a Disney legend, as reported by the D23 portal.
Source: Recreio
