Beloved Disney Historian Jim Korkis Passes Away at 72

Beloved Disney Historian Jim Korkis Passes Away at 72

Beloved Disney historian Jim Korkis, age 72, has passed away after battling serious medical issues. Mark Goldhaber, organizer of the GoFundMe to support Korkis’ household and medical bills, shared the sad news.

Friends, I am heartbroken to have to inform you that our friend Jim Korkis passed away this morning. He was unresponsive this morning at the rehab center and was transported to the hospital. His brother Mike was able to arrive a few minutes before Jim passed. While Jim could not respond, Mike said that Jim appeared to be able to hear him, and he was able to talk to Jim for those last few minutes.

Jim had been feeling good this week, and there really was no indication that things would take a turn for the worse. He did not appear to be in pain and went quickly and quietly as he had wished.

There will be a memorial for Jim at a date and time to be determined. It will be held via Zoom so that those elsewhere in the US or overseas can attend. We’ll publicize the details once it’s set, but for now, Mike needs to focus on taking care of the necessary details.

To those of you who contributed to this GoFundMe, THANK YOU! Your contributions and messages of support gave life and light to Jim over these last several weeks. He was astonished to see how many people loved him. The remaining balance will be used to help pay off his final medical bills.

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Korkis’ health challenges began after a home accident in February, leading to the discovery of major arterial blockages, necessitating quadruple bypass heart surgery. During recovery, he also contracted COVID-19 and received a devastating diagnosis of stage four inoperable colon cancer, which had spread to his liver.

With a prolific career, Korkis authored numerous articles and books on Disney history, including “The Unofficial Walt Disney World 1971 Companion: Stories of How the World Began” and “The Vault of Walt” series.

A memorial for Jim will be held via Zoom, allowing friends and admirers from across the U.S. and overseas to participate. Further details about the event will be shared once the date and time are determined.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

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