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Page 26 of 28 Vision of the Future: Walt's  Illness

Sharon, Bob Brown and Ron Miller

Sharon, Bob Brown and Ron Miller
aboard the yacht during a 1966
trip in British Columbia waters.

In July 1966, Walt and his whole family -- Lilly, Diane, Ron, Sharon, Bob, and all their children (including baby Victoria) -- took a memorable trip through the waters of British Columbia on a 140-foot yacht. During that time, he and Lilly celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary.
A large craft by any means, it wasn't huge for six adults and seven children. But according to Diane, "The kids playing all around him didn't bother him. They were climbing all over him, and he seemed to really like that. It was a beautiful, wonderful trip. We loved it." "The Vancouver trip was wonderful," echoes Tamara, who was nine at the time. "I didn't realize at the time that he was sick. I remember him finding an eagle's feather and giving it to me. He'd just listen and observe. Knowing he didn't feel good, now it makes sense. He was the guy sitting on the boat with the camera." When Walt would grow weary, he'd retire to the upper deck of the yacht and read. Diane recalls there were two books he was focused on; one dealt with the task of choosing a college president (he was very involved in Cal-Arts at the time) and the other was a book about city planning, which he was reading for inspiration for EPCOT.
On July 24, Walt checked into UCLA Medical Center, where tests showed that he would need an operation to help relieve the pain in his neck. But he decided to wait for a while. In mid-September, Walt attended a press conference for Mineral King -- his proposed resort near Sequoia National Park. It was a gray, cold day, and Walt didn't seem well. A public relations man explained that he had simply been affected by the altitude and cold. But even a quick glance at photos taken that day show that Walt's face had aged noticeably in the year; more than the cold was ailing him. It was to be his last press conference. Walt and Governor Edmond G. Brown

Walt and Governor Edmond G. Brown during the Mineral King press conference. Many journalists were struck by Walt's appearance.

Walt in the promotional film for EPCOT

Walt in the promotional film for EPCOT. Shortly thereafter, he checked into St. Joseph's Hospital, where it was determined that he had lung cancer.

In early October, Walt made a film to promote EPCOT. Shortly after the film was made, he checked into St. Joseph's Hospital. It's almost certain that he learned he had lung cancer while there. But he said not a word to his family. Later that month, he traveled to Williamsburg with Lilly, Sharon, and son-in-law Bob Brown to receive an award from the American Forestry Association. Diane and her family were invited but "we said we couldn't go. It was Halloween. The kids loved Halloween and they wouldn't miss it for anything -- not even to go to Williamsburg with Grandpa. It seems shortsighted now." "We were there for three days," recalled Sharon. "We ate and ate and talked and talked. Daddy was a good tourist. He had been back there before, so he was showing it to these two newcomers who had never been there. And he went through everything! On Halloween, the leaves were all dropping deep into the streets. There was no one around, and it was raining. One little boy came to the door for trick-or-treat. We hadn't even thought about it. It was the most awful feeling of not having anything. And I remember Daddy going from room to room trying to find a pack of gum, and he finally found something upstairs in his room; a pack of gum for this little boy. It bothered him." 
On November 2, doctors told Walt that he would need surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his left lung. He ran into Peter Ellenshaw and pooh-poohed the artist's concerns. "There's no problem," Walt said. "My God," thought Ellenshaw. "My great man is going to die." The next Monday, after the operation, the surgeon reported that Walt's left lung had been removed. Lilly, Diane, and Sharon had waited for the surgeon's report -- they had no idea of the news they were about to hear. "It was as I suspected," the doctor told them. "I'd give him six months to two years." Walt spent about two weeks in the hospital, and then insisted it was time to get back to work. Secretary Tommie Wilck picked him up and brought him to the studio. "I only saw him from a distance when he was released from the hospital and came back to the studio," said Ward Kimball. "I didn't see him up close. As an artist you go by the outward shape . . . or how a person walks. He looked awfully old and bent over. . . . People who saw him up close hardly recognized him."
Walt embraces Lilly during the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics

Walt embraces Lilly during the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics
 

 
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