The Disney community is mourning the loss of Margaret Kerry, the actress and dancer whose performances helped bring Disney’s iconic Tinker Bell to life in the 1953 animated classic Peter Pan. Kerry passed away yesterday, on June 11, 2026, at the age of 97 following a battle with lung cancer.
For Disney fans, Kerry will forever be associated with Tinker Bell. While she did not provide the character’s voice, her live-action reference performances were used by Disney animators as they crafted the beloved pixie audiences have adored for generations. Her expressive movements, charm, and personality became an important part of creating one of Disney’s most recognizable characters.
Beyond her connection to Disney, Kerry enjoyed a lengthy career spanning film, television, radio, and voice acting. Throughout the decades, she appeared in productions such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Lone Ranger, and numerous animated projects. She also remained a familiar face at Disney and fan events, where she often shared stories from Hollywood’s Golden Age and her experiences working with Walt Disney Studios.
In 2016, Kerry published her autobiography, Tinker Bell Talks: Tales of a Pixie Dusted Life, offering fans a closer look at her career through personal stories, photographs, and memories from throughout her life.
The news of her passing was shared on her official Facebook page, where family and friends remembered both her life and the love she shared with her husband, Robert Boeke:
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.
Margaret’s beloved husband, Robert Boeke, also passed recently – on May 24th, 2026. Their love story was truly remarkable, having begun as sweethearts some seventy years ago – but separated by careers. Yet in 2019, the two reconnected to rekindle their love and 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.
Margaret was deeply grateful for the extraordinary life that she enjoyed and felt tremendously blessed by her loved ones and the countless friends and fans that she met along the way. Margaret 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.
Margaret’s family asks that, in lieu of flowers, it would be so special for her friends and fans to make a donation in her name to Wilmington, North Carolina’s Thalian Association Community Theater at https://www.thalian.org/support-us/donate/.
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.
With love to an irreplaceable friend, talented entertainer and loving mother,
(Margaret asked us to post this photo below of her and Tinker Bell when she passed.)
Tinker Bell’s Gift Shop Staff: Linda Swisher and Sher Lancaster
Margaret Kerry leaves behind a lasting legacy that extends far beyond a single role. Through her work, she helped create a character that continues to inspire generations of Disney fans around the world. Every flutter of pixie dust and every appearance by Tinker Bell serves as a reminder of the talent and heart she brought to Disney history.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to Margaret Kerry’s family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched throughout her extraordinary career.
