The last surviving member of the Lollipop Guild has officially crossed over the rainbow. Jerry Maren, who starred as a munchkin in the original Wizard of Oz, died last week at the age of 98. The cause of death remains unknown.
Maren died at a nursing home in San Diego a little over a week ago. Reports of his death originally surfaced back in the spring of 2016. At the time, Maren reportedly died from pancreatic cancer, though a close friend later debunked the rumors. We still do not know the cause of death, but sources told TMZ that Maren had dementia before he passed.
A funeral for Maren was held in Hollywood at Forest Lawn this past weekend.
Maren was 4ft 3in tall and landed a part in the Wizard of Oz when he was only 18 years old. He starred in the 1939 flick alongside other munchkins Harry Earles and Jakob “Jackie” Gerlich, as well as Judy Garland, who played Dorothy. Maren went on to play a number of different roles in Hollywood and built quite a career in both television and film.
This includes an appearance on Bewitched (1967) and a spot in the original Planet of the Apes (1968). But it was his part in the Wizard of Oz, of course, that brought him the most fame.
Maren landed a supporting role in the TV show, Lidsville (1971) and the lead in the comedy No Soap, Radio (1982). He also appeared in an episode of Seinfeld, “The Yada Yada,” and more recently portrayed a mime in Dahmer vs. Gacy in 2010.
Maren received his own footprint and handprint at Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater in 2013. He also has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he received back in 2007.
Apart from his career, Maren was happily married to Elizabeth Barrington. Their marriage lasted 36 years before she died in 2011. Maren was active on social media and created an Instagram account in order to debunk the reports of his death in 2016. His final post on social media was in May of 2017 when he shared a photo of him and his wife in honor of their anniversary.
“Happy Anniversary my lifelong love. Rip,” he wrote alongside the pic.
Maren’s family has not commented on his passing.