Disney Exec, Pasadena Resident Denise Anne Greenawalt Passes Away

A mass will be held Saturday morning at St. Bede the Venerable in La Canada Flintridge for Pasadena resident Denise Anne Greenawalt, 52, a longtime publicity executive for the Walt Disney Studios, who died in her sleep following a long illness on May 22 at Huntington Hospital.

Greenawalt rose through the ranks after she was hired as an assistant for the Walt Disney Studios field publicity department in 1986. By the mid-90s, she was named VP of national publicity, Variety reported.

During her 16-year tenure with Disney, she played a key role in developing and executing publicity campaigns for many of the studio’s biggest animated hits including “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” Variety reported.

Her other campaigns included work for such films as “Tarzan,” “Aladdin,” “Pocahontas,” “Mulan,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Monsters, Inc.” and“The Princess Diaries,” the trade publication reported.

In 2002, Greenawalt retired from Disney for health reasons. But she became an active volunteer for several causes.

She also volunteered for Elton John’s Aids Foundation as well as the La Canada Thursday Club, where she was in charge of the Debutante Program. She stepped down last year and moved into an advisory role.

Born in Philadelphia on Sept. 23, 1960, Greenawalt attended Loyola Marymount’s School of Film and Television and later received her MBA from UCLA.

She went to work at public relations firm Rogers & Cowan while pursuing her dream job at Disney. In 1986, she was hired as an assistant for Disney Studios’ field publicity department and in 1994 was named vice president of national publicity.

Her survivors include her mother Doris “Dotty” Greenwalt, her brother, David, and her 2-year-old Westie, Charlie.

Saturday’s mass at St. Bede the Venerable in La Canada Flintridge is scheduled for 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn in Glendale. Donations can be made in her name to the Huntington Hospital Pet Assisted Therapy