I’m hesitant to call today’s feature “fun links,” since they’re meant to honor someone who passed away. But we’re celebrating the life and work of Bill Justice, who passed away last week at the age of 97. While he may be gone, the joy and wonder and fun that he created over his long career remain with us.

If you already know about Bill Justice and his contributions to DIsney animation and Imagineering, consider this a refresher course. If you don’y know the man, you almost certainly know his work and now is a perfect time to learn exactly who helped bring Thumper to life, made Mary Poppins more magical, and got pirates to sing.

Jutice’s IMDB page gives a general overview of the film work he did at Disney. His Disney Legends page give a more in depth look at his career as an animator and his work for the Disney parks. This L.A. Times obituary includes some quotes from some of Justice’s friends and colleagues.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Bill Justice when he gave a talk at a museum near my home. It was years ago so my memory is a little fuzzy, but I recall him being an enthusiastic and engaging speaker. He explained the reason for the redesign of Mickey’s eyes, revealed some of his tricks from the “Spoonful of Sugar” sequence in Mary Poppins, and quickly corrected a local paper’s assertion that he was one of the Nine Old Men, which he claimed could get him in big trouble. He ended his talk by tossing paper plates that he had drawn Disney characters on into the audience frisbee style, except for the last one, which he handed to a little girl. Everything I’ve read about Bill Justice indicates that he was a man who loved what he did and everything I remember about him confirms that.