June Lockhart, a legendary actress best known for her iconic roles in Lassie, Lost in Space and A Christmas Carol, has died. She was 100 years old.
Lockhart died of natural causes on Thursday, October 23, according to a Saturday, October 25, press release. She was at her home in Santa Monica, California, with her daughter June Elizabeth and granddaughter Christianna by her side.
The service will be private, and in lieu of flowers the family suggests sending donations to The Actors Fund, ProPublica and International Hearing Dog, Inc.
“Mommy always considered acting as her craft, her vocation, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA,” said her daughter, June Elizabeth, in a statement. “She cherished playing her role in Lost in Space and she was delighted to know that she inspired many future astronauts, as they would remind her on visits to NASA. That meant even more to her than the hundreds of television and movie roles she played.”
The actress’s nearly 90-year career took her from the stage to the big screen and beyond. She made her stage debut at 8 in the 1933 production of Peter Ibbetson at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. At 13, she starred onscreen in A Christmas Carol alongside her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart.
Her young career quickly blossomed from there, when she landed the role of Lucille Ballard in Meet Me in St. Louis at just 19 years old.
June Lockhart Getty Images
In the 1950s through the 1970s, Lockhart’s career gained traction on television, portraying the Mother in Lassie, Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, and Dr. Janet Craig in Petticoat Junction.
She made her Broadway debut in 1947, a role in the show For Love or Money. With that, she earned a Tony Award in 1948 in the category of “Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer,” which no longer exists today.
Her prolific work across many decades earned her two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (one for TV and one for film), which were both dedicated in 1960.
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She was also very involved with NASA and space exploration, and her role in Lost In Space helped to inspire many astronauts at the time. She attended NASA launches and landings throughout the years, and in 2009 she was with legendary astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in Washington, D.C. for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.
In 2013, NASA honored Lockhart with the “Exceptional Public Achievement Medal,” which is given to non-government individuals who have made contributions to NASA throughout their career.
“I’ve been to two space shuttle launches and worked with NASA since the 1970s, addressing their employees and traveling on NASA’s behalf to promote the agency,” she told The Denver Gazette at the time she received the award. “So I’m absolutely thrilled by this recognition. No other actress has received this honor.”
Along with her many other adventures, Lockhart was a strong supporter of animal rights. She supported the Santa Monica Mounted Police Horses and was the National Spokesperson for International Hearing Dog Inc.
