Mel Blanc's Widow Estelle Passes

Estelle Blanc, wife of legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, died Sunday, January 12, 2003 in Santa Monica, California of natural causes. She was 92. Born in Denver, Colorado, Estelle Rosenbaum began her career in early radio with soon-to-be husband Mel in 1932 in Portland, Oregon where they co-hosted a one-hour radio show called COBWEBS AND NUTS. Married in 1933, the couple moved to Los Angeles in 1936. There, Mel joined Warner Bros. where he gained fame as the signature voices of the characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester & Tweety, Tazmanian Devil, Wyle E. Coyote, Roadrunner and Woody Woodpecker. In every respect "the woman behind the man," Estelle assisted husband Mel with all aspects of his career during their 50-year marriage. When Mel was involved in an automobile accident in 1961, Estelle built a recording studio in their Pacific Palisades home so that he could carry on with the voice of THE FLINTSTONES' Barney Rubble while he was lying in bed in a full body cast. The Hanna-Barbera crew recorded 65 episodes of the cartoon in the special studio, with a microphone suspended over his bed. Estelle Blanc is survived by her son Noel Blanc, daughter-in-law Katherine, and nieces Elise and Sharon. The family held a private service for Estelle Blanc at Hollywood Forever Memorial Park, where Mel Blanc is buried. He died in 1989 and his headstone reads, "That's All Folks."