A loving father, husband, brother, film producer, and pioneer of the American animation industry, Walter Disney is known for his many roles. Walt’s geniuses are evident through his popular Disney productions and animated characters.
His death along with the entrepreneurial animation and production venture became a source of the popularity of the other Disney clan members. Suddenly, the world wanted to know their story. Today, his daughters, siblings, and grandchildren are known for their philanthropic contributions and never-ending family disputes.
Want to know more about the Disney legacy? Here is the entire history of Walt Disney and his family in a single diagram.
In this article
Part 1: Who was Walt Disney?
Born to Elias and Flora Disney in 1901, Walter Elias Disney was the fourth son of the Disney family. During his infancy, Walt’s father moved to Kansas City due to his deteriorating health. He started his early education at Benton Grammar School and later graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago, from where he also worked as a newspaper cartoonist.
Soon after graduation, he was sent to a Red Cross mission to Germany. Upon his return to Kansas in the 1920s, his brother Roy O. Disney recommended Walt for a job at the Kansas City Films Ad, where he continued his passion for creating commercials for magazines and cinemas. Meanwhile, he married Lilian Marie and had two daughters, Diane and Sharon Mae (adopted).
Today, he is known as the American’s renowned cartoonist, producer, and entrepreneur. Having four honorary degrees and 22 Oscar awards, Walt co-founded the infamous Walt Disney Company with Roy Oliver and created several fictional characters like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. In 1966, Walter died of cardiorespiratory arrest.
Part 2: Walt Disney Family Tree
2.1 Parents
Elias Charles Disney
Elias Disney (1859-1941) was born in Ontario Canada to Irish immigrants Mary Richardson and Kepple Elias Disney with strict Christine values. After marrying Flora Call in 1888, he moved to Chicago and started as a building contractor. Together, they had four sons and one daughter. He died in 1941, exactly three years after Flora, due to failing health.
Flora Call
Flora Call (1868-1938), Elias Disney’s wife and mother to Walt Disney, was born to Henrietta and Charles Call in Ohio, USA. She was a seamstress and made clothes for her five children. Sadly, Flora died of gas asphyxiation due to a faulty furnace, leaving a lasting impact on the entire family.
2.2 Spouse
Lilian Marie Bounds
Lilian Marie, born in Idaho, USA in 1899, was a business college graduate and a film artist. In 1924, she started her career by becoming Walt Disney's secretary, and a year later, they got married. She would remarry after his death in 1966. 31 years after her first husband's death, she suffered a stroke and died in 1997 at her California house.
2.3 Children
Diane Marie Disney
Born to Walt and Lilian Disney in 1933, Diane Disney Miller was an American philanthropist and the CEO of the Walt Disney Productions up until 1984. During her perpetual, she donated around $5 million to charities and followed her father’s legacy through the foundation of the Walt Disney Family Museum.
She began her married life with Ron Miller in 1954 and had seven children, including Christopher, Tamara, Jennifer, Walter, Joanna, and Ronald Miller. In November 2013, she died at 79 from falling and suffering injuries.
Sharon Mae Disney
Born in 1936, Sharon Mae Disney was the adopted youngest daughter of the Disney Family, who later became an actress. She married Robert Brown in 1959 and gave birth to Victoria Brown. However, Robert died soon after the birth of their daughter.
In 1969, Sharon remarried William Lund and had twins, Brad and Michelle. Ten years down the lane, they got divorced. She spent her last years at St Johns Hospital California and died in 1993 of breast cancer.
2.4 Siblings
Herbert Arthur Disney
Born to Flora Call and Elias Disney, Herbert Arthur (1888-1961) was the eldest child of the Disney family, who served in the US military during WW I. He returned to Oregon and married Louise R. Rast. Together, they had a Dorothy Disney, their daughter. After Louise's death, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked in the Post Office and married Margaret Chapman.
Raymond Arnold Disney
Raymond Arnold Disney (1890-1989) was a war veteran like Herbert. He was the oldest sibling to outlive all his immediate family. Upon returning to the States, he married Meredith Boyington and had two sons Charles Elias, and Daniel Harwood Disney (adopted).
Later on, he started a production company in North Vermont California, and handled Original Disney Bros Studio and Walt Disney Productions.
Roy Oliver Disney
Roy O. Disney (1893-1971) was the youngest brother of the Disney Family and a successful businessman who co-founded the Walt Disney Company with Walter Disney. He married Edna Francies in 1925 when she was working in the Kansas City Times, and had a son Roy Edward Disney. One year after his retirement in 1971, he died of a stroke.
Ruth Flora Disney
Youngest and the only daughter in the Disney Family, Ruth Flora (1903-1995) was a stenographer and philanthropist. She married Theodore Beecher and had a son Warren Beecher. Ruth maintained a low profile and was the least known Disney family member.
Part 3: How to Make Such a Family Tree in Minutes?
Are you intrigued by inspiring historical personalities like Walt Disney and want to make their family tree? No worries, creating lengthy and extensive family trees is quick and easy with the EdrawMax pre-built templates. Here is how you can do it.
- Download the EdrawMax desktop version and sign in with your Wondershare ID or an account of Google, Twitter, or Facebook.
Step 1: Select a template
Visit the EdrawMax Template Community from the dashboard and type Family Tree in the search box. It will display several historical figures and family trees. Scroll down to find the right fit for your task and click Use Immediately.
Step 2: Edit the tree
Once you are on the editing panel, access the left-side symbol library and start adding shapes to match the family member’s profile. Now, write descriptions for each profile by double-clicking each shape.
Next, go to the Design tab on the top toolbar and change the formatting, color scheme, theme, and font style of the diagram.
Step 3: Share and download
Finally, export the final family tree in a desired format (PNG, JPG, PDF, Visio, and more) from the quick-access toolbar. EdrawMax also allows the sharing of diagrams. Just click Share from the top-right corner and edit permissions.
Conclusion
Walter Elios Disney was a visionary entertainer, renowned for the creation of the Walt Disney Company which revolutionized the motion picture industry in the USA. His services as a voice actor, cartoonist, film producer, and philanthropist made him the star of American animation pictures.
Soon enough, the popularity of the Disney theme park and Walt Disney production house brought his family to the global landscape. The endless family feuds, philanthropist appearances, and Disney conspiracies have been an entertainment source for many.
Do you want to learn more about the history and legacy of the Walt Disney family? Check out the above family tree example.
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