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Los Angeles, CA, October 7, 2019 -- Karen Pendleton, one of the Mickey Mouse Club's
original Mouseketeers, died from a heart attack on Sunday, October 6, in Fresno, CA, at
age 73. Pendleton, among the youngest of the Mouseketeers, was best known for her
shoulder length blond curls and being paired with fellow Mouseketeer Cubby O'Brien in
the Mickey Mouse Club's show closing "Now it's time to say goodbye..." alma mater.
Pendleton appeared on Disney's classic children's television series throughout its four-
year run (1955-1959) on the ABC television network. The original Mickey Mouse Club
lived on in syndication for decades thereafter entertaining generations of children around
the world.
Pendleton was born in Glendale, CA, on August 6, 1946 to a non-show business family.
She was recruited to audition for the Mickey Mouse Club when Disney producers
approached dancing schools in the Los Angeles area seeking kids to try out for a spot on
their new children's television show. Pendleton won them over and became a
Mouseketeer, one of only nine that appeared on the show during its entire run.
Following her years on the Mickey Mouse Club, Pendleton left show business and
finished high school, married and had a daughter. In 1983 she was involved in a
devastating automobile accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. She spent the
rest of her life in a wheelchair. However, an eternal optimist, she rose up from that
situation and returned to school to earn a Bachelor's and Masters degree. She went on to
work at a shelter for battered women and became a staunch advocate for those with
disabilities serving on the Board for the California Association of the Physically
Handicapped.
Maintaining her long-time friendships with her fellow Mouseketeers, through the years
Pendleton also co-starred with them in many Mickey Mouse Club reunion shows and
parades at Disneyland and at Disney fan shows and conventions. Her daughter, Staci,
commented on how much the association with the Mickey Mouse Club meant to her
mother. "My mom loved her Mouseketeer family," she said. "Getting together with
them was always a high point. It gave her the opportunity to relive great memories and to
meet so many Mickey Mouse Club fans that watched the show as kids and loved her.
Many told her that they named their daughters 'Karen' in her honor."
Divorced, Pendleton resided in Fresno and is survived by her daughter, Staci Bletscher,
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Contact:
Lorraine Santoli
Lsantoli@me.com
914.548.3705