Raymond Arnold Disney

RAYMOND ARNOLD DISNEY was one of the older brothers of entertainment legend WALTER ELIAS DISNEY. Among others, his close family included his spouse MEREDITH A. DISNEY and son CHARLES ELIAS DISNEY, who was named for Raymond's father who was Elias Charles Disney. DANIEL H. DISNEY was an adopted son. His parents were Elias Charles Disney and Flora Call Disney.

Raymond had one grandson, CHARLES ROY "CHARLIE" DISNEY, who was the son of CHARLES ELIAS DISNEY and MARY ELIZABETH O'BRIEN DISNEY. Both Mary Elizabeth and Charles Roy died in an auto mishap in 1972. Charles Elias Disney adopted a son Cristian Petrea in 1999 who became Cristian Petrea Disney. Cristian passed away on May 10, 2018.m

It was in Kansas City where Raymond first met Meredith and they were first maried in 1935. They separated and Meredith married another friend and when he passed away, she remarried Raymond. Actually, Raymond owned his own very successful insurance business for over forty-five years finally located at 1771 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California. He handled most of the insurance for his brothers Walt and Roy and for their original Disney Bros. Studio in 1923 and later for Walt Disney Productions in Burbank. Raymond was a close confidant and he advised brothers Walt and Roy throughout their lives and especially in the early years of Disney Bros. Studio and Walt Disney Productions. He really enjoyed spending much time with his brothers as they originally established what was to become the vast Disney Entertainment Enterprises, now known as The Walt Disney Company.

Raymond like his brother Walt, also greatly admired Abraham Lincoln and he worked alongside his brother Walt when the "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" exhibit was created for the Illinois Pavilion for the 1964 New York World's Fair and later in 1965 was moved to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. He had an uncanny sense about dates and numbers! Raymond was greatly saddened when each one of his brothers passed away respectively, and he deeply missed them for the rest of his own life. Walt and Roy were both younger than Ray. Herbert was the oldest of the Disney children and Ruth was the youngest and the only girl sibling.

Raymond served in the U. S. Army during World War I. He was an active member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Los Angeles.

Early in life Raymond was a bank clerk/teller in Kansas City, Missouri at the First National Bank at 10th & Baltimore Ave. in downtown Kansas City, the same bank where his brother Roy also worked. Today, this bank building remains and is the Central Library of Kansas City. He always had a "soft spot" for Kansas City and would visit there numerous times across his lifetime including when he and his brother Walt and his wife Lilly met with Frank S. Land, the founder of the International Order of DeMolay!

Raymond was a member of St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Santa Monica. He funded a large most beautiful and quite spectacular and popular meditation flower garden for many years that was so prominent in the churchyard filled with so many native blooming flowers for each season.

He was a very kind and generous gentleman! Ray had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed making people happy. Raymond and Meredith both loved cats and dogs and would always help strays find homes (often in their own home) that seemed to find their way to their door! They both made very generous donations to local animal shelters for many years.

Raymond was quite active in the Masonic Lodge and in the Los Angeles, California Shriner's Al Malaikah Shrine Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. activities across many years. He was a member of the Royal Order of Jesters and he participated in "The Book of the Play." He was really so proud of the fact that he enjoyed a personal meeting with Frank S. Land, the founder of the International Order of DeMolay with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Ray bequeathed a very considerable amount of his large estate to the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children in Los Angeles and the Shriner's Children's Burn Hospital in Galveston, Texas.

If you are so inclined and want to help something really "magnificent" Raymond Arnold Disney would want you to reach out and donate to the renowned Shriner's Hospitals For Children: (888) 337-0080!

Raymond was 98 when he passed from this life on May 24, 1989 at his home in Santa Monica, California, with his son Charles Elias Disney at his side.

Raymond's funeral service was held in the Little Church of the Flowers in Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale, California on Saturday, May 27, 1989. Also, a Royal Order of Jester's Rose Ceremony and a Masonic Service followed the religious services. His remains were then entombed in the Freedom Mausoleum in the Sanctuary of Prayer Room close to the garden where Walt and Lillian and other family members are entombed. Everything at Forest Lawn was, as always, so beautiful and quite uplifting!

Some other members of his family are elsewhere in Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks in Glendale and Hollywood Hills, California. His spouse, who was Meredith A. Disney, is entombed in the Risen Christ Mausoleum in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Culver City, California, and other family members are in other cemeteries.

"May Raymond Rest In Peace!"

(Biography by Meredith A. Disney & Daniel H. Disney)