Her death from complications of the disease was announced on the Disney Web site.

As an adult Ms. Funicello described herself as the queen of teen and millions around her age agreed. Young audiences appreciated her sweet forthright appeal and parents saw her as the perfect daughter.

She was the last of the 24 original Mouseketeers chosen for The Mickey Mouse Club the immensely popular children s television show that began in 1955 when fewer than two thirds of households had television sets. Walt Disney personally discovered her at a ballet performance.

Before long she was getting more than 6 000 fan letters a week and was known by just her first name in a manner that later defined celebrities like Cher Madonna and Prince.

Sometimes called America s girl next door she nonetheless managed to be at the center of the action during rock n roll s exuberant emergence. She was the youngest member of Dick Clark s Caravan of Stars tour which included LaVern Baker the Drifters Bobby Rydell the Coasters and Paul Anka. Mr. Anka her boyfriend wrote Puppy Love for her in her parents living room.

As a Mouseketeer she received a steady stream of wristwatches school rings and even engagement rings from young men all of which she returned. She wrote in her 1994 autobiography A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes that irate mothers often wrote back to say how hard Johnny or Tommy had worked to save the money for the gift and how dare I return it

She said that if she had charm (she undeniably had modesty) it was partly a result of her shyness. Mr. Disney begged her to call him Uncle Walt but she could manage only Mr. Disney. (She could handle Uncle Makeup and Aunt Hairdresser. )

At the height of her stardom she said her ambition was to quit show business and have nine children.

With minor exceptions like her commercials for Skippy peanut butter Ms. Funicello did become a homemaker after marrying at 22. One reason she said was her reluctance to take parts at odds with her squeaky clean image. She had three children.

Her cheerfulness was legendary. Her response to learning she had multiple sclerosis a chronic disease of the central nervous system was to start a charity to find a cure.

There was no irony only warm good feeling in her oft repeated remark about the world s pre eminent rodent Mickey is more than a mouse to me. I am honored to call him a friend.

Annette Joanne Funicello was born on Oct. 22 1942 in Utica N.Y. and as the first grandchild on either side of the family was indulged to the point of being in her own words a spoiled brat. At age 2 she learned the words to every song on the hit parade her favorite being Ac cent tchu ate the Positive.

In 1946 her parents decided to move to Southern California in the hope of doing better economically. They lived in a trailer park until her father a mechanic found work. They settled in Studio City and later moved to Encino.

Annette took dancing lessons learned to play drums and at 9 was named Miss Willow Lake at a poolside beauty contest. She did some modeling. Mr. Disney who wanted amateurs and not professional child actors discovered her when she danced in Swan Lake at a local recital.

The Mickey Mouse Club was instantly popular generating orders for 24 000 mouse eared beanies a day. Annette quickly became the most popular Mouseketeer and Disney marketed everything from Annette lunchboxes and dolls to mystery novels about her fictionalized adventures.

But she did not receive special treatment. When she lost a pair of felt mouse ears she was charged $55. It was deducted from her $185 weekly paycheck.

She once decided she wanted to change her last name to something more typically American. She chose Turner. But Mr. Disney whom she considered a second father convinced her that her own name would be more memorable once people learned it.

In 1958 as The Mickey Mouse Club was ending its run Mr. Disney summoned Ms. Funicello to his office. She feared she was going to be fired for growing too tall but instead he offered her a studio contract the only one given to a Mouseketeer.

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