Ruth Irene Tompson was an American camera technician, animation checker and supercentenarian.
16 Facts About Ruthie Tompson
1.
2.
Ruthie Tompson was known for her work on animated features at The Walt Disney Company and was declared a Disney Legend in 2000.
3.
Ruth Irene Ruthie Tompson was born on July 22,1910, in Portland, Maine, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts.
4.
Ruthie Tompson then moved with her family to Oakland, California, in November 1918 at age eight.
5.
Ruthie Tompson experienced the 1918 influenza pandemic near the end of World War I In 1924, her parents divorced and her mother, Arlene, remarried artist John Roberts.
6.
Ruthie Tompson recalls sitting on an apple box until her parents said they were going home for dinner.
7.
Ruthie Tompson was invited into the office after many times standing outside and watching them work through the window.
8.
Ruthie Tompson visited the office often and ended up appearing in the Alice Comedies.
9.
At the age of 18, Ruthie Tompson started working at Dubrock's Riding Academy, where Roy and Walt Disney often played polo.
10.
Ruthie Tompson continued working for Disney and was promoted to animation checker during WWII, where she worked on training and education films, for the USArmed Forces, starring Disney characters such as Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy.
11.
Ruthie Tompson became one of the first three women admitted into the International Photographers Union, Local 659 of the IATSE.
12.
Ruthie Tompson continued to work through the studio ranks, eventually becoming the supervisor of the screen planning department.
13.
Ruthie Tompson retired in 1975 after working for The Walt Disney Company for almost 40 years.
14.
In 2000, Ruthie Tompson was honored by the Disney Legends program and received the Disney Legends Award for her work at the Walt Disney Studios.
15.
In July 2020, Ruthie Tompson became a supercentenarian, and celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg wished her a happy birthday.
16.
Ruthie Tompson died in her sleep at her home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on October 10,2021, at the age of 111 years, 80 days.