June Lockhart, the cherished actress celebrated for her unforgettable performances in Lassie and Lost in Space, has passed away at the age of 100 from natural causes.
According to Variety, the Hollywood legend died on Oct. 23 in Santa Monica, California. Lockhart first won over audiences as Ruth Martin, Timmy’s foster mother, on CBS’s Lassie from 1958 to 1964, taking over the role from Cloris Leachman. She later became a sci-fi icon as Dr. Maureen Robinson, the biochemist and devoted matriarch in CBS’s Lost in Space from 1965 to 1968.
Reflecting on her career in 2024, Lockhart told Closer magazine, “Lost in Space was my favorite project. It was so campy, and I truly enjoyed my relationship with my space family.”
Born in New York City in 1925 to actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, June made her film debut at just 13 in the 1939 adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Her early film credits include All This, and Heaven Too, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Yearling, and Sergeant York.
Her remarkable career spanned nearly eight decades, with roles across television and film well into her 80s. She held recurring parts in Petticoat Junction, General Hospital, and Beverly Hills, 90210, and made guest appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies, Happy Days, Full House, Roseanne, and Grey’s Anatomy. She also appeared in several beloved Westerns, including Wagon Train, Cimarron City, Gunsmoke, and Rawhide.
Throughout her illustrious career, Lockhart earned two Emmy nominations, including Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for Lassie, and received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — one for film and another for television. She also won a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for her Broadway debut in For Love or Money in 1948.
A private service will be held in her memory. In place of flowers, her family asks that donations be made to The Actors Fund, ProPublica, or International Hearing Dog, Inc.
