RIP Betty White (1922 - 2021)

Betty Marion White Ludden (January 17, 1922  - December 31, 2021).

Betty Marion White Ludden was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on January 17, 1922. She had an amazing career in movies and television that spanned a whopping 70 years. She passed away in her sleep at her home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, California, on December 31, 2021 at the age of 99 less than three weeks before her 100th birthday.

White is well known for her sitcom roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 - 1977) and as Ellen Jackson Harper in the first two seasons of Mama's Family (1983 - 1984). She is perhaps best known for her role as Rose Rylund in the series The Golden Girls (1985 - 1992).

Betty White with The Golden Girls (1985-1992) co-stars
Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, & Estelle Getty.

Rest In Peace....and thank you for being a friend.

RIP Ed Asner (1929 - 2021)

 

RIP Stan Lee (1922 - 2018)

Marvel Comics legend and popular culture icon, Stan Lee, the man responsible for many of Marvel's most popular superheroes in comic books and movie died on Monday, November 12th at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He was 95 years old. 

Born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922 in Manhattan, New York City, New York to Romanian-Jewish immigrant parents, Lieber at 17 would become an assistant in 1939 at the new Timely Comics division of pulp magazine and comic-book publisher Martin Goodman's company. By the 1960s, Timely Comics would evolve into Marvel Comics. He made his comic-book debut with the text filler "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge" in Captain America Comics #3 (May 1941), using the pseudonym Stan Lee, which years later he would adopt as his legal name.

Lee entered the United States Army in early 1942 and served as a member of the Signal Corps, repairing telegraph poles and other communications equipment. He was later transferred to the Training Film Division, where he worked under the title of "playwright" writing manuals, training films, slogans, and occasionally cartooning.

Lee was instrumental in creating a host of popular comics heroes while working as head writer, then later editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics in the 1960s. Along with creative partner Jack Kirby, Lee co-created iconic comic characters such as: The Fantastic Four, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Inhumans, and The X-Men. Working with Bill Everett, Lee co-wrote Daredevil; and with Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange and Marvel's most successful character, Spider-Man. Many of his and Kirby's comic characters would team up as The Avengers with popular characters like Captain America. Lee and artist John Buscema also launched The Silver Surfer series in August 1968.

Lee produced superheroes that had more complex, naturalistic characteristics instead of the seemingly flawless superhero and comics archetypes of the past, giving them a quality that helped his characters relate to people reading his stories. When fans asked, Lee said Spider-Man was his favorite heroic creation, mainly because of his Every-man nature.

Lee also served as a progressive force in his chosen medium. He tackled racial and ethnic prejudice and intolerance, and in 1966 introduced the first major black comics superhero Black Panther, an African king and brilliant scientist named T'Challa from the fictional African nation Wakanda.  Lee and Gene Colan also created the Falcon, comics' first African-American superhero in Captain America #117 (September 1969). 

Lee also supported using comic books to provide some measure of social commentary about the real world, often dealing with racism and bigotry. He used his monthly column "Stan's Soapbox" to address issues of discrimination, intolerance, or prejudice -- in addition to promoting upcoming Marvel comics.

In 1971 the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare asked Lee to write a comic-book story about the dangers of drugs and Lee conceived a three-issue subplot in The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (cover-dated May–July 1971), in which Peter Parker's best friend becomes addicted to prescription drugs. The Comics Code Authority refused to grant its seal because the stories depicted drug use. Lee had the story published without the seal. The comics sold well and Marvel won praise for its socially conscious efforts. The CCA subsequently loosened the Code to permit negative depictions of drugs, among other new freedoms.

A Captain America cosplayer standing
at Stan Lee's star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.

From the 1970s until the ’90s, Lee became the face of Marvel and a frequent staple at comic and pop culture conventions, entertaining fans with his stories and signature catchphrase, “Excelsior!” He created his own POW! Entertainment in 2001 to develop film, TV and comic properties but always stayed connected to his original superhero roots as geek culture rose in Hollywood. He moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1981 to develop Marvel movies and TV shows, and he narrated cartoons such as Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Lee and fans had to wait nearly 20 years to see the big-screen potential of these characters.

Perhaps the thing Stan Lee is best known for is having had a cameo in nearly every Marvel movie, beginning with director Bryan Singer's X-Men (2000), as well as several other films like director Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995) and the Disney animated film Big Hero 6 (2014). Lee completed filming his last two on-screen cameo appearances for the upcoming Marvel films: Captain Marvel (2019) and the yet untitled sequel to Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and will appear posthumously in both films. 

Mr. Lee is survived by his daughter, Joan Cilia Lee. His wife of 69 years, Joan, died in 2017.

In a world where divisions are everywhere, he was a uniter. His contributions to society and the messages of tolerance and respect he promoted though his published works continue to have a profound impact on our culture today, and to this blogger in particular.

Goodbye and thank you, Mr. Lee. RIP!

RIP Carrie Fisher (1956 - 2016)

 

In loving memory of American actress 

Miss Carrie Frances Fisher 

October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016. 

She helped take us on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away, 

and gave us a new hope through her most memorable role as "her worshipfulness" the snarky, but courageous  Princess Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan and a leader of the Rebel Alliance to Restore the Galactic Republic. 

This blogger thanks you for all the memories growing up in your role as Princess Leia, as well as your many other film characters over the years. 

Rest in Peace, and please tell Kenny we miss him too.

RIP Gene Wilder (1933 - 2016)

RIP Jerome Silberman aka Gene Wilder
(June 11, 1933 - August 29, 2016)

Far too many times it seems like this month has been a time where this blogger has had the unhappy duty to say goodbye to celebrities that have, in some form or another, touched my life profoundly. 

It is with a heavy heart that it was reported on social media that actor Gene Wilder - perhaps one of my all-time favorite comedy actors, and certainly one of the greats in that field - passed away on Monday the 29th of this month due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 83 years old. 

Born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Wilder began studying to become an actor at age 13, and had his first performance onstage at age 15.

He took the professional name Gene Wilder after graduating from the University of Iowa and starting his decades-long acting career beginning with stage productions and his first film role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

In 1971, Wilder's film career took off with his portrayal of the eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka in the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) - a film based on the excellent book by Roald Dahl, which did not gross very well at the time of the film's release (Dahl himself disowned the final product and didn't care for Wilder's preformance), but grew in popularity over the next decade with repeating broadcasting on television. 

Wilder is perhaps best remembered for his role as the eccentric
Willy Wonka from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971).

In 1974, Wilder would work with legendary comedy director Mel Brooks in two films that would be among his best remembered comedy roles.  

The first was the satirical Western comedy film Blazing Saddles (1974), where Wilder played a recovering alcoholic gunslinger named Jim (aka The Waco Kid) as a sidekick character to actor Cleavon Little portrayed as the town's unpopular black sheriff Bart. In the film, the duo would work together to gain the acceptance of the townspeople and stop badguys from destroying the town. 

Wilder alongside actor Cleavon Little in Mel Brooks'
Western comedy film Blazing Saddles (1974).

Later the same year, Wilder starred as another eccentric comedy character in Brooks' horror comedy film Young Frankenstein (1974) where he plays a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus - later shortened to just Frankenstein.    

In Young Frankenstein, Wilder played alongside actress Teri Garr as Inga his lab assistant and actor Marty Feldman as Igor (pronounced "eye-gor" in the film). Wilder and Feldman would both team up again a year later in the musical comedy film The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) in Wilder's directorial debut.

Wilder as Victor Frankenstein in Mel Brooks' Young Frankentein (1974)
with Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, and Cloris Leachman.

A year later Wilder would team up with legendary comedy actor Richard Pryor in the comedy thriller film Silver Streak (1976). The two actors would play a duo in two other comedy films: Stir Crazy (1980) where they played a pair of wrongly accused men sent to prison, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) where Wilder played a deaf man to Pryor's blind man who both work together to thwart murderous thieves. 

Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor worked together
on three films between 1976 - 1989.

Wilder was married four times. His third wife was actress Gilda Radner, with whom he starred in three films. Her 1989 death from ovarian cancer led to his active involvement in promoting cancer awareness and treatment, helping found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles and co-founding Gilda's Club.

Rest in peace Jerome Silberman, aka Gene Wilder. 

Thank you for all the memories, sir. You will not be forgotten.

RIP Jack Riley (1935 - 2016)

RIP John Albert "Jack" Riley Jr.
December 30, 1935 - August 19, 2006.
Thank you for the memories.

Actor John Albert "Jack" Riley Jr. passed away earlier today at his home in Los Angeles, California, USA reportedly from pneumonia and infection. He was 80 years old and retired after a successful career that spanned decades in various forms of media - including notably voice acting for animated shows. 

Jack Riley's roots in television were firmly within comedy, as he came from a radio background where he had his own comically-inclined show. He moved west where he partnered with legendary funnyman Tim Conway on The Tim Conway Show which got his foot in the door with appearances on comedy shows like Occasional Wife, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and Hogan's Heroes  before landing the biggest break in 1972 with his live-action career: The Bob Newhart Show. 

On the show Riley played Elliot Carlin, one of the many patients that Bob Newhart's psychiatrist saw on a daily basis. Mr. Carlin was as condescendingly neurotic as one gets, with a sense of humor that geared towards the cynical side, making him one of the show's stronger personalities. The character was so popular that Riley would go on to reprise the role on both the TV series Alf and St. Elsewhere.

Other roles credited to Riley include characters on M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, One Day at a Time, Gomer Pyle, Diff'rent Strokes and Night Court. He was also a favorite of Mel Brooks, appearing in several of his films: High Anxiety, History of the World: Part I, To Be or Not to Be, and (cameo only) Spaceballs. He also appeared on episodes of Seinfeld, Son of the Beach, Friends, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show and, in a gag appearance, as an unnamed but obvious Mr. Carlin in an episode of Newhart.

Stu Pickles, father of Tommy Pickles from Rugrats.

As a voice actor Riley is best remembered from 1991 - 2005 for voicing the character Stu Pickles in the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats, the sometimes bumbling toy inventor and father of the series main character, Tommy. The franchise consisted of the TV series, the spin-off All Grown Up! and the Rugrats film trilogy.

Mr. Riley had also served in the United States Army and is survived by his spouse, Ginger Lawrence-Riley and their two children.

Thank you for the memories Mr. Riley.

RIP Kenny Baker (1934 - 2016)

English actor Mr. Kenny Baker, the stunt actor for R2-D2
in both the original and prequel films of the Star Wars franchise. RIP.

 

British-born actor Kenneth "Kenny" George Baker, best known for his role as R2-D2 in six of the Star Wars films and Fidgit in the 1981 cult classic Time Bandits passed away at his home in Preston, England, UK. 

Baker was born in Birmingham, England, UK on August 24, 1934 and died on August 13, 2016. He was 81 years old. Over his career, which spanned five decades, Mr. Baker, who stood at 3 feet 8 inches tall, played various dwarf-like characters in such notable films as: The Elephant Man (1980), Willow (1988), Labyrinth (1986), and Flash Gordon (1980).

One of this blogger's favorite childhood films was the original Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (not the &*%$#! 1997 remastered version, the original!) and probably one of my favorite characters was the droid R2-D2. 

Since the films are among my favorites, I own copies of them on DVD along with the making of documentaries such as Empire of Dreams: The Making of the Star Wars Trilogy, which featured the actors behind the scenes. I especially loved hearing Mr. Baker talk about how he preformed his role as the droid and working with his counterpart, C-3PO played by English-born actor, Mr. Anthony Daniels.

Kenny Baker as R2-D2 with Anthony Daniels as C-3PO on the set of the original Star Wars film at Elstree Studios near London, England, UK in 1976.

Mr. Baker died in his home after a long illness on Saturday, August 13th of this year, many decades after doctors told him he would not live long past puberty. He is survived by his two children. He was an amazing man who overcame much in his life and had a great career to be proud of. 

The world will be a much poorer place without him in it, but God has a new angel in Heaven.

RIP Mr. Kenny Baker. Thank You For The Memories!

RIP Wayne Rogers (1933 - 2015)

Actor Wayne Rogers (center) with Alan Alda (left) and Loretta Swit on the set of M.A.S.H. 1972.
  CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Actor Wayne Rogers, who played the iconic character Trapper John McIntyre on the classic TV series M.A.S.H., died on Thursday, December 31st from complications from pneumonia. He was 82 years old. 

Born on April 7, 1933 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, William Wayne McMillan Rogers III graduated from Princeton University in 1954 with a degree in history and enlisted in the United States Navy before becoming an actor.

Rogers appeared on the TV series M.A.S.H. as Captain Trapper John McIntyre in the first three seasons from 1972 to 1975, with his last on-screen role on the show in the infamous O.R. scene in the third season finale: Abyssinia, Henry.

 

Before starring on M.A.S.H., Rogers appeared on other TV shows such as The Fugitive, Gomer Pyle USMC, and Gunsmoke. After leaving M.A.S.H., he would play a reoccurring role on Murder, She Wrote and on several TV mini-series roles. 

One mini-series role in particular, Wayne portrayed police chief Will Henry Lee in Chiefs - a three-part TV mini-series based on a novel of the same name by author Stuart Woods filmed in this blogger's home town of Chester, South Carolina in 1983. 

Rogers is survived by his wife of 27 years, Amy Hirsh. 

RIP Wayne Rogers - Thank You For The Memories!

RIP Lemmy Kilmister (1945 - 2015)

English rock musician Ian Frasier "Lemmy" Kilmister, best known as the hard living lead vocalist and bass guitarist for the heavy metal rock band Motorhead, died today after a short battle with aggressive cancer. 

Lemmy was born on December 24, 1945 in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, UK and died on December 28, 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was 70 years old. 

Though being more of a Straight Edge person, I did not share his particular hard living lifestyle, I did hold Mr. Kilmister - a dude so cool he only needed one name: Lemmy - and the music he helped write and produce in high regard and respect the man himself as an artist. 

Motorhead and their music were classics when I was growing up and remain popular with me to this day. I have several fond memories of his songs, including many from the album Ace of Spades, which hold a particularly personal adolescent memory for me about an amazing girl I once knew all too briefly one summer just after turning sixteen - sadly she died four years later after dealing with a particularly hard life. Whenever I listen to that album, I am reminded of her memory and the good times we managed to share. 

Thank you Lemmy for your amazing work, for bringing joy and the gift of music and good memories to millions worldwide with your band mates. May you rest in peace, sir.

RIP AND ROCK ON LEMMY!

Also, in loving memory of my dearest Ashleigh. 

You were my first and I'll never forget you, or your beautiful soul.

RIP Wes Craven (1939 - 2015)

Legendary American Hollywood writer, director, and producer Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven died in his home in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 30, 2015 after a long struggle with brain cancer. Mr Craven was 76 years old. 

Wes Craven With His Two Greatest Horror Creations: Ghostface from the Scream franchise & Freddy Kreuger from the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise.

Born on August 2, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Craven is best known for his work in horror and slasher films, and best remembered for being the creator of the Nightmare On Elm Street movie franchise featuring the legendary horror movie monster, Freddy Krueger.

Two Versions Of The Horror Film Monster Freddy Kreuger (Played By Actor Robert England) From Wes Craven's Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise.

His horror films - all of which are favorites of this blogger - include such amazing works of horror like: The Last House On The Left (1972), The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Swamp Thing (1982), A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988), Shocker (1989), The People Under The Stairs (1991), Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) and the Scream movie franchise - which were among his highest grossing films. 

Swamp Thing (1982)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Shocker (1989)

The People Under The Stairs (1991)

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)

Scream (1997)

Craven also played himself in the Kevin Smith film: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)...another blogger favorite. 

Mr. Craven's work as a director has won him several film awards over the years, including the Saturn Award for the first Scream film. In 2012, the New York City Horror Film Festival honored Craven with the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Mr. Craven is survived by his third wife Iya Labunka.

Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven. Born August 2, 1939 - Died August 30, 2015.
Thank you for all the memories - and for all the nightmares, Mr. Craven. RIP.

RIP Yvonne Craig (1937 - 2015)

Actress Yvonne Joyce Craig died of metastatic breast cancer in her home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on August 17, 2015. She was 78 years old. 

Craig is best remembered for her roles as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in the classic 1966 Batman TV Series and as the green-skinned Orion asylum inmate, Marta, in the Star Trek The Original Series 3rd season episode: Whom Gods Destroy. 

 

Craig Is Best Known As The Classic Batgirl, One Of The First Female Superheroes On Television.

Marta, The Orion Asylum Inmate From The Classic Star Trek Episode: Whom Gods Destroy.

Her role as Batgirl established Craig as the pioneer of female superheroes on television. She was also an advocate for women's health issues and equal pay for women - a cause this blogger also supports.

Craig is survived by her second husband, Kenneth Aldrich, and her sister, Meridel Carson.  

RIP Yvonne Craig. (May 16, 1937 - August 17, 2015)
Thank You For All The Memories.

RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper (1954 - 2015)

Roderick "Roddy" George Toombs (aka. Rowdy Roddy Piper)
April 17, 1954 - July 30, 2015

On Friday, July 30th of this year, legendary professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (born Roderick George Toombs) died in his sleep after a fatal heart attack, at the age of 61, in his home in Hollywood, California.

Born on April 17, 1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Toombs began his career as an amateur wrestler, a boxer winning the Golden Gloves boxing championship, and awarded a black belt in Judo. His first professional wrestling match took place in Winnipeg at the age of 15 against professional wrestler Larry "The Axe" Hennig. When Roddy made his way to the ring playing the bagpipes (which Toombs became proficient at as a kid), the ring-announcer introduced him as "Roddy the Piper", the fans in attendance heard it as "Roddy Piper" and the name stuck. 

Piper's in-ring persona as a brash, trash-talking "heel" (bad guy wrestler) wearing a kilt in honor of his Scottish heritage, defined him as one of the iconic wrestlers of the 1980s and 90s. 

The Rowdy One, Rowdy Roddy Piper.

On November 24, 1983 Piper took part in the first NWA Starrcade pay per view wrestling in front of a crowd of 16,000 people in the Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) in a memorable and brutal dog collar match with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. During the match Piper was struck in the ear with the heavy chain used, damaged his eardrum and lost most of his hearing as a result. 

Two years later, Piper would star in the main event of the very first WWF/WWE Westlemania pay per view on March 31, 1985 in front of 19,121 fans in Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) when he teamed with "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndoff against wrestling legend Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea and Mr. T.

Roddy Piper Vs. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine At Starrcade 83
in front of 16,000 fans at the Greensboro Coliseum, NC.

Piper Squares Off Against Mr. T. And Hulk Hogan At Wrestlemania I
In Madison Square Garden, NY.

Piper would go on to have a memorial feuds with Hogan for much of the 1980s in the WWF/WWE and the late 90s in WCW. Piper is also noted for his rivalry and friendship with wrestling legend "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

Piper is considered one of the greatest talkers and heels in wrestling history. His Piper's Pit interview segments were considered innovative, especially in an atmosphere where only the people like the world champion got to talk, and the wrestlers were the interviewees - but never the interviewers.

Piper Interviews Wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka In Piper's Pit.

Piper is also well known as an actor in several cult-classic films such as the John Carpernter film They Live (1988) and Hell Comes To Frogtown (1988) - both are among this blogger's favorite 80s films.

Piper's Famous Line From The John Carpenter Cult Classic Film
They Live (1988) And One Of My All-Time Favorite Movie Quotes.

In 2005, Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

News of his death broke minutes before the Hall of Heroes dinner to cap off the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends FanFest in Charlotte, North Carolina, where about 600 current and former wrestling personalities and fans had gathered. He received a ten-bell salute after the planned salute to fellow former professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, who had died in June 2015. Another ten-bell salute was given at the beginning of the August 3, 2015, episode of WWE Raw and a video was shown honoring his professional career and life. 

Piper's ashes were sprinkled onto his ranch in Gaston, Oregon. He is survived by his wife Kitty and their four children. 

Roddy Piper With Fellow WWE Hall Of Famer "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
Who Died In June Of This Year. RIP.

On a personal note, back when wrestling was still wrestling - before the era of "sports entertainment" and the end of professional wrestling's territory days - Rowdy Roddy Piper (aka "Hot Rod") was one of my all-time favorite wrestlers and heroes as a child of the 80s, even though he was mostly a "bad guy" through his run. His personality and his character just rubbed off on me.

He was one of the first wrestlers my dad took me to see and I enjoyed his matches and films. I also respected the man, Roderick Toombs for who he was beyond his wrestling persona. His pride in his Scottish and Irish heritage largely inspired my own sense of pride in that heritage, and ironically in kilt wearing. Also of note, like me he was also a Confederate descendant. His great-great grandfather was Robert Augustus Toombs (July 2, 1810 - December 15, 1885), the first Confederate States Secretary of State. 

Thank you for the memories and the inspiration, Hot Rod. Your memory and legacy will never be forgotten. I look forward to meeting you in Heaven someday.

RIP Roddy Piper. Thank You For The Memories. God Rest Your Soul.

RIP Mr. Leonard Nimoy (1931 - 2015)

"Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most....human." 

                         ~William Shatner as Admiral James T. Kirk from the film Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan.

Leonard Simon Nimoy
(March 26, 1931 - February 27, 2015)

On Friday, February 27, 2015, the world mourned the loss of legendary actor and director Leonard Simon Nimoy, best known for his outstanding role as Commander Spock of Vulcan in the Star Trek franchise. Nimoy (aged 83 years) died as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in his home in Los Angeles, California, USA.

As I sit in write this, I am listening to one of my favorite episodes of the original Star Trek TV series on MeTV, the Spock-centered episode: Amok Time (season 2, episode 1), considered by Trek fans as one of the most iconic episodes of the series - it was the first occasion where the now famous Vulcan hand salute and the line: "Live long and prosper" were first introduced by the character.

As an avid and life-long science fiction fan, Leonard Nimoy is a name I have known my entire life. As a young boy, I would often stay up late on weekends to watch reruns of the original Star Trek series. As a child of the 80s, I grew up watching the big screen Trek films, as well as the subsequent spinoff series of the Star Trek franchise. I consider myself a Trekker - not to be confused with a Trekkie - one who appreciates the hopeful future depicted in the Trek franchise and walks with those who promote that future, as opposed to someone who just sits and watches the movies and series because its Star Trek.

Though I loved all the characters in the original series, it was Mr. Spock who interested me. Not because he had a bowl-shaped haircut, or because of the pointed ears; but because it was through the outstanding acting talent of Leonard Nimoy that Mr. Spock lived on the screen as a half-human-half-Vulcan science officer of the UFP Starship Enterprise. It was fun to see Mr. Spock, a being constantly at conflict with his emotional human half and hiding it behind a stoic logical mask of his Vulcan heritage, save for that one iconic raised eyebrow. It was also fun to see that logic tested by the other characters on the show, particularly in verbal jousts with the ship's chief medical officer, the highly emotional Dr. Leonard McCoy played marvelously by the late DeForest Kelley.

Not only did I appreciate Nimoy's character role as the Mr. Spock, but also for a number of his other great roles - most notably as the psychiatrist Dr. David Kibner in the 1978 remake of the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers and as the narrator and host of the TV series In Search Of... and Ancient Mysteries.

One other notable role he did that stuck with me for years and had an impact on my life was his outstanding role as Mel Mermelstein, in the 1991 TV movie Never Forget, about a survivor of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz, and his real life lawsuit brought against a group of organizations engaged in Holocaust denial.

Not only was he a marvelous actor, but an accomplished director for the films: Star Trek III The Search For Spock (1984), Star Trek IV The Journey Home (1986), and the non-Trek film: Three Men And A Baby (1987). 

In his final message on Twitter, Nimoy wrote: 

Leonard Nimoy left this world a much better place for having been in it and touching all our lives in some profound way or another. 

Rest In Peace Mr. Nimoy. Thank you for the memories. Shalom.

Also, please give our love to Dee and James, tell them we still miss them too.