Some Background History about Annette Funicello

Annette Funicello (of Mickey Mouse Club and teen beach movie fame) founded the Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company in 1992 to fund research of neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, with which she had been diagnosed in 1987. Funicello teamed with world-renowned Teddy bear artists "to share with people all over the world the comfort and love a Teddy bear brings."

In 1996, Funicello received the Teddy Bear Review Lifetime Achievement Award – the first person ever to receive the honor. Annette's bears also were the first collectible bears offered on the QVC shop-at-home network.

L.L. Knickerbocker was the first to manufacture Annette Funicello Collectible Bears, followed by Papel Giftware. The newest products are manufactured and distributed by the Annette Funicello Bear Company itself – giving Annette more control over the process than ever before.

Annette Funicello produced a line of teddy bears for the Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company from 1992 until the last collection was made in 2004.  The closing was quick and announced, which shocked teddy bear shops and collector's.  Her line of bears can be found on E-bay for those who still wish to buy her bears.

She partnered with talented teddy bear artists from around the world to make bears for her company. Each bear comes with Annette’s signature logo pin, sewn in label and comes in a gift box with a hand tag and a certificate of authenticity.

Annette Funicello bears were issued in a series of collections that are now retired. Some of her collections include:
                              Angel Bears
                             Bear Buds
                            Bears Of The Sea
                            Beary “Licious
                            Holiday Collection
                            Spring Collection

Annette Funicello suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS) and donated a portion of the profits from the sale of her teddy bears and other enterprises to MS research and the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders.

On October 6, 2012, the CTV flagship current affairs program W5 profiled Funicello as an update on her after she had spent fifteen years out of the public eye. The profile revealed that her disease had severely damaged her nervous system; Funicello had lost the ability to walk in 2004, the ability to speak in 2009, and, at the time of the profile, she required round-the-clock care in order to survive. In the profile, Holt and Fabares discussed Funicello's state at the time, as well as the numerous medical interventions and treatments that had been attempted in order to improve her condition.

Sadly on April 8, 2013, Funicello died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, California, at the age of 70, from complications due to multiple sclerosis.^[ At the time of her death Annette's family was with her. Her funeral was  private and held on April 12, 2013, at the Cherished Memories Memorial Chapel in Bakersfield, CA. Commenting on her death, Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said,

"Annette was and always will be a cherished member of the Disney family, synonymous with the word Mouseketeer, and a true Disney Legend. She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney's brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent. Annette was well known for being as beautiful inside as she was on the outside, and she faced her physical challenges with dignity, bravery and grace. All of us at Disney join with family, friends, and fans around the world in celebrating her extraordinary life."

Please note that the bears pictured in this article are not available at Keillor's A Teddy Bear Shoppe and are used as illustration purposes.