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Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt Disney and a director emeritus of the family studio, died Wednesday morning after battling stomach cancer. His name is on REDCAT downtown. Roundup of obit excerpts:
Disney toiled for years in the shadow of his famous uncle and his father, Roy O. Disney, who behind the scenes ran the business side of the Walt Disney Co. for his brother. But the quiet man in the cardigan sweater would emerge as a forceful protector of family traditions."People always underestimated Roy," said Peter Schneider, the former president of Walt Disney Feature Animation. "You underestimate Roy at your peril, as many people have learned."
In 2007, Forbes magazine ranked him as the 754th richest person in the world and estimated his fortune at $1.3 billion. He was not on the list in subsequent years. In his spare time he bought a castle in Ireland and indulged his passion for yacht racing, setting several speed records. For years he was a fixture at the Transpacific Yacht Race between California and Hawaii.After years of dissatisfaction with Eisner's leadership and the company's lagging stock price, Disney and Gold resigned their board seats in 2003 and launched a shareholder revolt.
Initially, Disney and Eisner got on well, with Roy being rumored as a possible replacement for Jeffrey Katzenberg as studio chairman when Katzenberg was forced out of in the early 1990s. Relations began to cool, however, when Disney's request for an extension as a member of the Board of Directors was denied in 2003.In announcing his resignation, Disney blasted Eisner for neglecting the studio's animation division and theme parks and for failing to establish a succession plan. To further his goal of unseating Eisner, Disney started a website, SaveDisney.com, that was able to attract wide shareholder support and effectively bring about Eisner's departure.
More from Mark at LA Biz Observed, including a video interview.
Photo of Disney from disney.satarma.com