Ollie Johnston

Ollie Johnston was born on October 31, 1912 in Palo Alto, California, USA as Oliver Martin Johnston Jr.

He and fellow Disney "Old Man" Frank Thomas met as art students at Stanford University in the 1930s. They were hired by Disney for $17 a week when he was expanding his studio for feature-length films. Both worked on the first full-length film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937).

Employed at Walt Disney Productions from January 21, 1935 to his retirement on January 31, 1978.

Ollie and Marie Johnston's two sons are Rick (born in 1949) and Ken (born in 1951).

Caricatured as "Rufus the Cat" in The Rescuers (1977).

After retiring in 1978, he spoke at schools and film festivals in the US and Europe. He also wrote books about Disney's classic films and the animation process.

He is known for his work on The Iron Giant (1999), Incredibles (2004) and Robin Hood (1973). He was married to Marie E. Johnston.

He is remembered for his close friendship with fellow animator Frank Thomas. They met at Stanford University. During their years at Disney, they were often found teaming together to work on their various assignments. They became known as simply "Frank and Ollie." He and Frank Thomas bought homes close to each other. After their retirement, they continued to work on projects together until Frank passed away in 2004. Ollie would follow in 2008.

Ollie Johnston's wife, Marie, was also a Disney employee in the Ink and Paint Department. They were married for 63 years. Marie died in May 2005.

Following the death of close friend, Frank Thomas, he was the last surviving member of Disney's "Nine Old Men" until he died in 2008 at the age of 97.