Margaret Kerry, Live-Action Model for Disney's Tinker Bell, Dead at 97
One of Disney's biggest icons, who brought a childhood favorite to life, has died. Margaret Kerry was the live-action model and inspiration behind Peter Pan's Tinker Bell and has died at the age of 97.
Kerry's family confirmed on Facebook that she had died on June 11 in Wilmington, North Carolina. She was surrounded by her family as she died from a "courageous battle" with lung cancer.
"Dear Friends of Margaret Kerry, It is with profound sadness that we share news of the passing of Margaret Kerry (Boeke), our beloved Tinker Bell. Margaret passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on June 11, 2026, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Her three adoring children, Ellen, Christina, and Eric, were with her as she lost her courageous battle with lung cancer at the age of ninety-seven," they wrote.
They added that her husband, Robert Boeke, had died less than a month earlier, on May 24. The family called their love story "truly remarkable," having met 70 years ago but were separated due to their careers. Kerry and Boeke "rekindled their love" in 2019, with the family saying they "enjoyed six wonderful years of marriage. It is like a fairy-tale to know that they passed so very close in time to one another-perhaps a testament to the love they shared."
Kerry's family adds that she was "deeply grateful for the extraordinary life that she enjoyed" and "wanted everyone to know that she was at peace and ready for this next journey in her life, secure in the knowledge that God was eager to bring her home, with Him, into heaven."
In remembrance of her Disney legacy and the Peter Pan film, her family said, "And remember, on any given night, look up into the night sky and search for that 'Second Star to the Right.' Upon closer look, you might just notice that star shining a little brighter in Margaret's honor."
The Facebook post was accompanied by a black-and-white photo of Kerry with Tinker Bell, and was requested by the late Disney icon upon her death. Kerry was renowned for having been the real-life inspiration and model for Tinker Bell, and became popularized in the 1953 classic. She worked closely with Disney animator Marc Davis to bring the beloved character to life and even used her expertise in ballet.
"I said, ‘What do you want her to be? Ditzy like Betty Boop? Above it all like the Queen of the Angels?' He said, ‘Margaret, we want her to be you,'" she recalled in her Woman's World interview.
With everything done by hand, the production took nine months of filming Kerry's movements and translating them to film. She recalls having done 650,000 pieces of artwork for Peter Pan and the rest was history.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 9:03 AM.