Dick Nunis, executive who helped shape Disney World, has died
Dick Nunis, former chairman of Walt Disney Attractions and a 44-year cast member, died Wednesday in Orlando, his family has confirmed. He was 91.
His Disney career began as an orientation and training instructor in 1955 before the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. He later said he was earning $1.80 an hour.
Nunis went on to be instrumental in the development of Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
“Dick took the values and philosophies he learned directly from Walt and incorporated them into everything he did at Disney. We are grateful for his many achievements and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones,” Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Co., said in a statement Wednesday.
From 1967 to 1974, Nunis also served as chairman of the Park Operations Committee at Disneyland, and became vice president of operations in 1968. In 1971, he was named executive vice president of Disneyland and the new Disney World resort.
In an Orlando Sentinel article from 1996, Nunis’ home in Orlando was described as having many Disney touches, including Mickey Mouse ears atop the cappuccino machine, a mirror that cackled with a witch’s voice, and eight stained-glass windows in a two-story bedroom depicting Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Nunis retired from the company in May 1999. He was named an official Disney Legend that year and received the window treatment above Disneyland’s Main Street, USA. At Magic Kingdom, his window is above the Main Street Bakery and reads “The Original Dick Nunis Gym.”
Last year, Nunis chronicled his career in “Walt’s Apprentice: Keeping the Disney Dream Alive,” which included theme-park stories and tales from the 1960 Winter Olympics and the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.
“I met Dick when I started my career at Disney and saw firsthand the profound impact he had on the company,” Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World said in a statement. “As our site’s first leader, he set the stage for how we would operate and lead our cast members in the decades to come, and we owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Nunis also served as a member of the board of trustees at the University of Central Florida, where he and his wife, Mary, were financial supporters and had a strong interest in the athletics program. A native of Cedartown, Georgia, Nunis earned a football scholarship at the University of Southern California. He graduated in 1955 before taking the Disneyland job.
He also had been a director of Give Kids the World, a nonprofit organization that provides vacations to critically ill children and their families.
Nunis is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.