In my post on
Disneyland-related obituaries, I wrote that George W. Smith, a 40-year-old foreman, died July 4, 1955. The obituary did not list a cause of death, which made me curious about how he passed on. I just found a reliable source that says during construction a construction man fell off a roof. But the source didn't go into more details about the date, name, or other circumstances, so I can't say for sure that it's a match.
Strangely enough, the County of Orange does not have a death certificate on file for any George W. Smith who died on 7/4/1955. The mystery deepens.
ReplyDeleteChris. I went back to the original post and saw that you posted George died in LA County. I guess that would argue against him dying because of a fall at Disneyland--unless he were transported to LA. What was the Orange County hospital situation like in 1955?
ReplyDeleteIf it helps any, my name is Bryan Stull, the grandson of George William Smith. He was my mother's father who passed away when she was 11 years old. We possess a letter from Walt Disney thanking him for his contributing work on Disneyland. He died of an apparent heart attack July 4,1955. My mmother is still alive and healthy but doesn't know too much about him so if anyone knew him please, feel free to call me at 805-863-8084.
ReplyDeleteYour Grandfather is my Great Uncle! Small world! We had some great pictures on our side of Disneyland under construction that unfortunately after my Grandmother's passing have not been found again.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I just saw this posting. This is Bryan Stull. My mom Laura Smith, (George's daughter) passed away a year after I posted on here. She never saw him when he died and was not allowed to go to his funeral. Nor did anyone ever tell her what really happened. I have several pictures of him.
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