Annette Funicello will not be down for lunch

[GaTechGal]

I bet Walt met her at the gates of heaven.

[felinefan]

I saw a news item on TV a few years ago--there was a small fire at her house, and her husband and housekeeper got her and her dog out safely. They said at the time she was no longer able to speak. Multiple sclerosis, right? I remember not only the Mickey Mouse Club, but also the featurette they would have on her. And of course there was the time she was a spokeswoman for Jif peanut butter. One of my sisters was named after her--my brother and older sister were Disney nuts as toddlers, and insisted my younger sister would be named after her. I wonder how many women were actually named Annette because of her-- I know when Lucille Ball was on I Love Lucy, the worldwide number of girls named Lucy spiked. Will have to check that out at Behind The Name.

They go in threes--Margaret Thatcher, Roger Ebert, Annette Funicello. Maybe the other original Mouseketeers who have gone before met her as well.

[drcorey]

I hope they put back up her site gag back in Muppet 3d now. cause now it is a homage to her.

[DisneyMom]

Very Sad! :(

[drcorey]

Very Sad! :(

hmm, better buy up all of her hand made teddy bears you can find.

[darph nader]

I remember watching her and the others on the Mickey Mouse Club. My grandfather would watch it with me.
One day I wasn't at grandpa's house and grandma ased my grandpa,"Aren't you going to watch the MMC ?"
His reply was,"No,darph's not here". :(

[NemoRanger]

This mad me sad. What made it even more sad is when I was in the break room telling people the she died the majority of the responses where who is that? You would think if your a huge disney fan and you work for Disney that you would know who Annette is.

[WEDFan]

This mad me sad. What made it even more sad is when I was in the break room telling people the she died the majority of the responses where who is that? You would think if your a huge disney fan and you work for Disney that you would know who Annette is.

I initially read this and thought "But every knows Annette Funicello!" then I started thinking it through a little more. She's been out of the public eye for quite some time. It is probably more fair to say "Everyone of a certain age knows Annette Funicello." She was the first crush of a generation, but that was, well, a little while ago.

It is a sad passing, though.

[felinefan]

I looked up some interesting things about the name Annette. It originated before 1880, means little gracious one, and not surprisingly, hit its all-time high mark in popularity in 1960, when it was 62nd in most popular names. However, it dropped completely off the charts in 2007;if any parents have daughters named Annette, they must be so few as to rank below the top 1000 names. When Annette was born in 1942, it was #134 in popularity.

[Main Streeter]

I bet Walt met her at the gates of heaven.

This is absolutely the finest tribute I have read yet.