Margaret Kerry, the Model for Tinker Bell in ‘Peter Pan,’ Dies at 97

Margaret Kerry, the perky actress and dancer who served as the model and inspiration for the Disney animators creating the pixie Tinker Bell for the 1953 classic Peter Pan, has died. She was 97.

“It is with profound sadness that we share news of the passing of Margaret Kerry (Boeke), our beloved Tinker Bell,” said a family statement on Kerry’s Facebook page. “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.”