Nancy Sinatra Looks Back on Annette Funicello's 'Heartbreaking' Death From MS Carly SilvaOctober 23, 2025 at 4:26 AM 0 Gene Lester/Getty Images
 Nancy Sinatra is celebrating the life of her late friend, Annette Funicello.
- - Nancy Sinatra Looks Back on Annette Funicello's 'Heartbreaking' Death From MS
Carly SilvaOctober 23, 2025 at 4:26 AM
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Gene Lester/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra is celebrating the life of her late friend, Annette Funicello.
In honor of what would have been Funicello's 83rd birthday, Sinatra took to social media to pay tribute to her dear friend with a series of sweet photos they took together back in the day.
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Nancy Sinatra Shares Throwback Photos in Honor of Annette Funicello's 'Heavenly' Birthday
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Sinatra marked Funicello's "heavenly" birthday with an Instagram tribute, featuring several throwback photos taken throughout their years of friendship.
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"Today is Annette Funicello's birthday," Sinatra, 85, wrote in her caption, before going on to reminisce on their friendship journey together.
"I first met Annie around the time she was filming Babes in Toyland with my then-husband, Tommy Sands," Sinatra began. Funicello starred in the 1986 Disney film as Mary Contrary, opposite Sands' Tom Piper.
Sinatra's caption continued: "One day, I invited Mr. Disney to lunch at the Disney commissary to ask him for the part of Mary Quite Contrary. He told me he envisioned Annette in the role, but invited me to visit the set.
"All these years later, I can't remember if our first meeting was during that visit or through Jack Gilardi, who was our agent and later her husband, but she and I became great friends," Sinatra added.
"Her illness and death were heartbreaking. I loved her dearly, and I miss her so much," she added. "Happy heavenly birthday, Annie. 💙"
How Did Annette Funicello Die?
Funicello died in April 2013 following complications attributed to multiple sclerosis. She was 70 years old.
The revered actress and singer, who rose to fame as a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club, also starred in the iconic Beach Party films alongside Frankie Avalon throughout the '60s. It was during the filming of Back to the Beach in 1987 that Funicello first noticed she had trouble balancing—a sign that would later lead to her diagnosis with MS.
She initially kept her diagnosis private, but in 1991, Funicello went public with the news and began advocating for research into the disease.
She died peacefully at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., on April 8, 2013.
Related: Nancy Sinatra, 85, Sends Urgent Warning About 'Fake News' Involving Her Health
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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