Annette Funicello, one of America’s most beloved Disney stars, died on April 8, 2013, from complications of multiple sclerosis. She was 70 years old. Born Annette Joanne Funicello on October 22, 1942, in Utica, New York, she was the daughter of Joseph, who owned a car repair shop, and Virginia, a homemaker. Her life changed in 1955 when Walt Disney himself discovered her, and she became one of the original Mouseketeers on “The Mickey Mouse Club.
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In her early career, Funicello appeared on “The Danny Thomas Show,” “Zorro,” and in Disney films including “Babes in Toyland” and “The Shaggy Dog. ” She also built a successful singing career, recording albums with songs such as “Tall Paul” and “Pineapple Princess. ”
During the early 1960s, she became a star of the beach party movie craze, appearing in films like “Beach Party,” “Beach Blanket Bingo,” “Muscle Beach Party,” “Bikini Beach,” and “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini. ” In most of these films, she co-starred with Frankie Avalon.
She also appeared in the Disney film “The Monkey’s Uncle” and sang the title theme with The Beach Boys. Funicello married Jack Gilardi in 1965, and the couple had three children before divorcing in 1981. During the 1970s and 1980s, she became a familiar face as a commercial spokesperson for Skippy peanut butter. In 1986, she married Glenn Holt, a racehorse breeder and trainer.
A year later, in 1987, Funicello reunited with Frankie Avalon for the film “Back to the Beach. ” Near the end of filming, she began experiencing symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. She publicly disclosed her condition in 1992. By 1993, she could no longer walk and stopped appearing in public.
In 2011, the Los Angeles home she shared with her husband burned to the ground. Both were hospitalized with smoke inhalation. After recovering, the couple moved to Bakersfield. A little more than a year later, Funicello died from complications of the disease.
She left behind a lasting legacy as one of Disney’s earliest and most treasured stars.
