Martin E. Accardi; Retired Set Painter

Martin E. Accardi, retired set painter and sign artist, has died in a Burbank hospital. He was 87.

A longtime Burbank resident, Accardi died Saturday of a heart attack, said his son, Richard Accardi of Burbank.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Martin Accardi attended Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art in New York, sold insurance and operated a house-painting business. During World War II, he worked as an aircraft inspector for Lockheed Corp. After the war, until retirement in 1969, Accardi worked as a set painter and sign artist for several studios including RKO, Disney, Hal Roach and Twentieth Century Fox. He worked on many films including “Cleopatra” (1963), “Mary Poppins” (1964) and “The Sound of Music” (1965), and on television’s “Gunsmoke” series.

Accardi was a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Elks Lodge No. 1497 in Burbank.

In addition to his son, Accardi is survived by his wife of 49 years, Anna Accardi; daughter, Frances Kahn of Reseda, and four grandchildren.

A graveside service is at 3 p.m. today at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Forest Lawn Mortuary, Hollywood Hills, is handling the arrangements.