As each year draws to a close, we realize that it was a time of passages. Let us take a look at three Disney Legends who passed away during 2002.

Probably the world's most well-known animator was Ward Kimball. But really, Ward did so much more than just animate characters. His first big contribution to Disney was the design and animation of Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio. Of course Jiminy Cricket is now known around the world. He was featured in several educational cartoons on the Mickey Mouse Club. And he is the mascot for Disney's environmental efforts.

Ward went on to animate characters and direct scenes from some of Disney's biggest animated films. When Walt started producing his weekly television show, Ward directed three well-received episodes about space travel. Ward also contributed to WED, now known as Walt Disney Imagineering. Among other things, he was a consultant for EPCOT Center's World of Motion, and he contributed to the look of the Disneyland Railroad engines that were bought from other companies and refurbished.

Ward was almost as well known for his hobbies as for his work. His biggest interest was in railroading. He had a full-size railroad, the Grizzly Flats Railroad, in his backyard. Many people say that his railroad fueled Walt's interest in trains, which led to Walt's eighth-scale Carolwood Pacific Railroad and later to Disneyland.

Ward was also known for his toy collection. He had a large collection of old toys, most of which were still in working condition. On several occasions he was interviewed by television programs about his toys. But then he had larger toys as well, including the previously mentioned railroad, along with an antique fire engine.

2002 also saw the passing of Disney Legend Morgan Evans. Evans was better known by his nickname, Bill

Bill Evans was responsible for creating the landscapes at the Disney theme parks. During the construction of Disneyland, he had used an extremely limited budget to put trees around the park and create a jungle for Adventureland. He was able to benefit from the freeway construction by finding trees that were to be removed from the right-of-way and move them to the park.

Evans got the job at Disneyland because of a previous association with Walt. His brother Jack had been responsible the landscaping of Walt's Carolwood Drive home. Walt then hired the two brothers to design and install the landscape for his new park. Jack Evans passed away in 1958, but Bill remained with Disney. Although he offically retired in 1975, he continued working for Disney, including preliminary designs for the new Hong Kong park, up until his death.

The nickname of "Bill" often caused some confusion for some writers. One book referred to him as "Bill Morgan-Evans", and then another mentioned that "Morgan Evans and his brother Bill" had landscaped Walt's home.

And lastly, 2002 saw the passing of Norman "Buddy" Baker. When Walt Disney started producing television shows in the 1950s, George Bruns, the studio composer, suggested that Walt hire his former teacher to help out with some of the music duties. So Buddy was brought in to help with the music for the Mickey Mouse Club. He went on to write music for such movies as The Fox and the Hound, Summer Magic, and Toby Tyler, as well as the Winnie the Pooh movies. He received an Academy Award nomination for his Napoleon and Samantha score.

In addition to his work on the television shows and movies, Buddy contributed music to different Disney attractions. Probably his best-known work is the song "Grim Grinning Ghosts" from the Haunted Mansion, which he wrote with Imagineer X Atencio. But he is also known for his impressive scores for such attractions as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Hall of Presidents. Buddy also contributed to such attractions as It's a Small World, Adventure thru Inner Space, Carousel of Progress and America Sings.

Buddy was the musical director for EPCOT Center. Among his projects for the park, he wrote scores for Impressions de France, the Universe of Energy, and the American Adventure, and he co-wrote (again with X Atencio) the song "It's Fun to Be Free" for the World of Motion and "Fiestas en Mexico" for El Rio del Tiempo.

Like Bill Evans, Buddy continued working for Disney up until his death. He wrote music for the new Tokyo DisneySea park, including the score for the attraction Journey to the Center of the Earth. He was also the head of the film-scoring program at the University of Southern California, teaching a whole new generation of film composers.

As time goes on, more and more people who were directly involved in the early days of Disney are leaving us. Fortunately, their legacy lives on in their work.

- Story by Steve Burns; Photos ©Disney
Posted

Steve is a three-time Disney Store National Trivia finalist and webmaster of BurnsLand, home of Steve's Disney Railroad Adventures.

E-mail Steve at steve@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.

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