Tinker Bell Model and Inspiration, Margaret Kerry, Passes Away at 97

Margaret Kerry, the actress and dancer who served as the model and inspiration for Tinker Bell in the 1953 Disney animated classic Peter Pan, has passed away at the age of 97.

Her family took to her official Facebook page, saying "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."

Last month, Margaret's husband, Robert Boeke, also passed away. The two had met and "become sweethearts" 70 years ago, but their careers kept them apart. In 2019, the two reconnected and enjoyed six wonderful years of marriage.

Outside of serving as the model for Tinker Bell in Peter Pan, Kerry starred as daughter Sharon Ruggles on the live ABC family sitcom The Ruggles from from 1949-52, one of the first TV shows from Hollywood, not New York. In the series finale, (spoiler alert) her character gets married and goes on her honeymoon. She also starred alongside Eddie Cantor in If You Knew Susie (1948) and was an assistant dance director on the musical I’ll Get By in 1950.

Kerry also appeared on The New Three Stooges in 1965. She did live segments with Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe DeRita.

Along with serving as the model for Tinker Bell, she provided the voice of the redheaded mermaid in Peter Pan, which kickstarted a voice acting career that included roles on Clutch Cargo in 1959, Space Angel in 1962-64 and Captain Fathom in 1965.

What is unique about those cartoons, is that they used the Syncro-Vox system, where real human lips are superimposed over the animated characters’ mouths.

The Facebook post continues, "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... 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."

Her family requests that, in lieu of flowers, friends and fans can make a donation to Wilmington, North Carolina’s Thalian Association Community Theater.

Margaret was also a friend of Laughing Place, and our neighbor at a recent D23 Expo. We were all quite amazed and impressed by her energy for a woman in her 90s, meeting all her fans throughout the day. She will be missed, and our thoughts go out to her friends and family at this time.