Jean Vander Pyl

Jean Vander Pyl (October 11, 1919 – April 10, 1999) was an American actress on radio, television and movies. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best remembered as the voice of Wilma Flintstone from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones. She also provided the voice for Pebbles Flintstone, as well as Rosie the Robot Maid from the animated series The Jetsons, among many others, such as Fifi in Top Cat and Winsome Witch on The Secret Squirrel Show.

Radio
On radio she was heard on such programs as The Halls of Ivy and Father Knows Best, where she portrayed Margaret Anderson; the role was played on television by Jane Wyatt.

Television
She made numerous TV appearances as an actress in programs such as Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show, Father Knows Best and Petticoat Junction. She also guest starred on The Beverly Hillbillies. One of her final TV appearances was in the opening scene of the Season Two Murder, She Wrote episode, "One Good Bid Deserves a Murder". Vander Pyl also had a very brief cameo appearance in the live-action film version of The Flintstones as Mrs. Feldspar, an elderly woman in a conga line.

Animation
Her voice acting career mainly took place at Hanna-Barbera studios, where she voiced her most famous character Wilma Flintstone. She told an interviewer in 1995 that she received $250 per episode for making The Flintstones, and in 1966, when the series ended, she rushed to accept $15,000 in lieu of residual payments from syndication. When she gave the interview, she lived in San Clemente, California and remarked: "If I got residuals, I wouldn't live in San Clemente. I'd own San Clemente."

Her first voice role came in 1958 on an episode of The Huckleberry Hound Show, voicing an actress, she did additional voices, particularly Southern belles and Beautiful girls on Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss and The Yogi Bear Show. In 1962, she did another memorable role, as Rosie, the Jetsons' robotic maid, and 23 years later in 1985 she reprised the character on the returning series.

Later, she did the voices of Maw Rugg and her daughter Floral Rugg on a rural cartoon, Hillbilly Bears, and Winsome Witch; both shows were part of The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show (1965–1968). Jean Vander Pyl was also the voice of Little Ogee on ''Magilla Gorilla.

In the 1970s, she was the voice of Marge Huddles, the main character's wife on Where's Huddles? (playing a role similar to that of Wilma Flintstone, she was reunited on the series with her Flintstones cast members Alan Reed and Mel Blanc). Then went on to voice Mrs. Finkerton on Inch High Private Eye, Rosemary the Telephone Operator, a role that she shared with Kathy Gori on Hong Kong Phooey as well as several female characters on The Scooby Doo Show.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the talented voice actress did voices on The Mister T Show and Mrs. Slaghoople on The Flintstone Kids. But, she mostly reprised Wilma Flintstone on spin-off series and films, such as The Flintstone Comedy Show, The New Fred and Barney Show, The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, I Yabba-Dabba Do!, Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby, and A Flintstones Christmas Carol.

The actress' last voice roles were again as Wilma Flintstone on The Cartoon Cartoon Show episode "Dino Stay Out" in 1995, on The Flintstones Christmas in Bedrock in 1996 and even on The Weird Al Show in 1997.

Personal life
Vander Pyl was born in Philadelphia to John H. and Kathleen Hale Vander Pyl. Her grandfather had come from Holland. Her father was the district manager for Knit Underwear, her mother was a Southerner from Tennessee. The two died within six months of each other in the early 1950s. The family came to Los Angeles by the mid 1930s.

Her husband, Carroll G. O'Meara, died in February 18, 1962, age 53. He was a graduate of Stanford University who worked as a copywriter at KHJ radio in the mid-1930s and later became an advertising executive.

Death
On April 10, 1999, Vander Pyl died of lung cancer at her home in Dana Point, California. She was 79 years old. She was survived by her three sons, Michael O'Meara, Timothy O'Meara, and Roger DeWitt. Her daughter, Tina O'Meara, died in the 1970s. Vander Pyl was interred in Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest, California.