Diane Disney Miller Passes Away at 79.

It’s a sad day for The Walt Disney Company and even more so for the Disney family.

Diane Disney Miller, the eldest and only biological daughter of the founder of the great Walt Disney passed away today at her home in Napa, California. She passed away from complications from a fall she sustained earlier this year. She was 79 years old.

At 79 though, she was still lively and very active in making sure her father’s legacy would continue to inspire people from around the world in their own creative dreams and aspirations. As president of the Board of Directors of the Walt Disney Family Foundation, she helped lead the creation of a museum filled with unique exhibits dedicated to Walt’s legacy that has touched many for generations around the world.

Above all, she was a member of the Disney family and she cared about her family the most. The passion for her family is what drove her in all that she did and made sure that the Disney family name would always be associated with encouraging others to do their best and making their dreams come trust – just like her father did. “She went through life with a determination to inspire and entertain,” said a spokesperson in a statement released by the Walt Disney Family Museum. “She was her father’s daughter, a creative force with the perseverance to follow dreams and make a difference.”

She was indeed very much a Disney fan (with her and her sister being inspiration for Walt to create Disneyland), but also was enthusiastic for many other things like wine, architecture, and the musical arts.

Diane Disney Miller is survived by her husband Ron, 7 children, and 13 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. Funeral services for her will be private and the Museum has not yet planned a public commemoration for her, but we will keep you posted here on when and if those plans will be released.

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Please feel free to send your well-wishes to the family below in the comments. We’ll be sure to send them along to the family.

Also in lieu of flowers and gifts, donations may be made to the memorial fund that The Walt Disney Family Museum has created in honor of Diane Disney Miller. Donations will support the museum’s ongoing education efforts, exhibitions, and programs. Donations and cards can also be sent to the family through The Walt Disney Family Museum, attn: Director’s Office; 104 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94129.