Roy E. Disney – Dead at 79

Roy E. Disney has died after a year long battle with stomach cancer. Nephew Roy Disney and Nephew to Walt Disney, he followed in his family’s footsteps and worked and remained active with Disney in many different roles.

Possibly best known for his efforts to “save” Disney, he led a revolt that ousted Ron Miller, Walt’s son in-law, and then worked hard to get Michael Eisner installed the company’s head. Oddly enough Roy later worked to get Eisner ousted. When Eisner was gone he complained when Robert Iger was appointed.

With Roy gone it feels like part of Disney died. In some ways having a Disney family member still working with the company almost made it feel less like a massive corporate machine and a little more human despite the company’s size and structure. In some ways Disney now seems a little colder.