John Lasseter picks up a Father’s Day Accolade.

When Walt Disney was still alive, he was known affectionately as ‘Uncle Walt.’ Some have called John Lasseter the next Walt Disney (although Lasseter brushes off any references to wanting to run the Walt Disney company), but he doesn’t quite fit the ‘uncle’ mode. Esquire Magazine is pitching another role for Lasseter, that of Father of the Year.

John Lasseter is a man. He is fifty-four years old. He is happily married. He’s the father of five sons, except that he always calls them boys — “my five boys” — even though the oldest is thirty-one. He has a couple of dogs, a big house, and a few jobs. He works hard at everything he does and he makes a lot of money. He’s kind and loyal, with far more friends than enemies. He is as passionate about his hobbies as he is about his work, and he likes to drive. He both listens and is listened to — that rare combination — and he likes making friends of strangers by asking them for their stories. He’s a funny guy, and an emotional one. He likes children, especially boys, and he knows how to entertain them as well as how to calm them down. Mothers entrust him with their kids, both on a one-on-one level and on a mass scale unknown to any human being since Walt Disney.

Lasseter fits the role of Storyteller like the mold was made for him. Those of us who fondly recall our father’s telling us stories as kids instinctively gravitate to Lasseter’s storytelling methods.

With Father’s Day coming up, I think it would be marvelous if you would share any stories you have that connects your father to your Disney memories. Just add them in the comments below.