 |
DANA R. BOWLER @2006
Gretchen Wyler with her rescued horse, Rio. |
The animals lost one of their leading advocates, and The Fund for Animals lost one of its longtime board members and passionate supporters. Gretchen Wyler passed away at her Camarillo, California, home on May 27, 2007, due to complications from breast cancer.
Wyler was an actress, singer, and dancer. She was theatrical—she always made an entrance, and her voice was always heard. These traits made her a formidable presence in Hollywood where she used her stature and charisma to advance the cause of animal protection.
She was invited to join the board of The Fund for Animals by founder Cleveland Amory in 1971 and served in that capacity for twenty years. During her time at The Fund, she worked to highlight some of the most egregious forms of animal abuse, such as the use of steel-jawed leghold traps and the abuse of captive animals in circuses. She established the Genesis Awards as a project of The Fund for Animals in 1986 to honor those in the news and entertainment media who covered animal protection issues in their newscasts, films, and television shows.
In 1991 she left The Fund’s board in order to devote all of her energies toward establishing her own nonprofit animal protection group in Hollywood—the Ark Trust, Inc. —and specifically to further develop and promote the Genesis Awards. Gretchen’s passion for animals and for performing launched the Genesis Awards into a new spotlight, and the program has grown to be attended by hundreds each year and seen by millions on the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and other networks.
The Ark Trust merged with The Humane Society of the United States in 2002, becoming the Hollywood Office of The HSUS. Gretchen continued her advocacy for animals as a vice president of The HSUS, until her retirement in 2006, after completing her 20th year of hosting the Genesis Awards. When The Fund for Animals also joined forces with The HSUS in 2005, the three groups associated with Gretchen Wyler became family again.
Born in 1932 in Oklahoma and trained in ballet, Gretchen Wyler moved to New York City and performed in such noted Broadway musicals as “Guys and Dolls,” “Silk Stockings,” “Damn, Yankees,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and “Sly Fox.” While performing in New York, she spent ten years managing a local animal shelter to improve the conditions for the animals being offered for adoption. She moved to the west coast in 1979 and added television and film roles to her resume. She officially retired from theatrical performances in 1997, but continued to star in guest television roles –- and of course, her animal activism continued until the day she passed away.
“Gretchen was a star, a singer, and a dancer, but I will always remember her as a voice for the voiceless,” said Michael Markarian, president of The Fund for Animals. “At The Fund for Animals, we speak for those who can’t, and no one embodied that motto more than Gretchen. Her voice for animals will continue to be heard, and her legacy will continue, through the Genesis Awards, the Hollywood Office of The HSUS, and all the important animal protection programs she pioneered.”
Offsite Links
