He, along with his fellow Disney contemporaries, was a pioneer in the use of "gags" within cartoons, often acted out in front of the "story board," a bulletin board pinned with sequential sketches of the cartoon's scenes. This technique still in use today in most major animation studios. He spent the last 30 years of his life in San Luis Obispo County in Los Osos. He loved his grandchildren dearly and spent many hours teaching them to see the minute details in life, which were extraordinarily fascinating and humorous to him. He died at his home in Los Osos, CA from a heart attack.