I'm a long-time science fiction fan. Tonight I mark the passing of an important figure in Star Trek -- Majel Barrett Rodenberry.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's widow and a fixture of nearly every incarnation of the space travel franchise, died on Thursday. She was 76.

Roddenberry, who suffered from leukemia, died at home in Bel Air, Calif., according to a spokesperson.

Before Star Trek, the Ohio-born actress worked on a range of television shows, including Bonanza and Leave it to Beaver.

She was romantically involved with Roddenberry when he launched Star Trek in the mid-1960s. Though he cast her as the USS Enterprise's unnamed first officer in his pilot, she would go on to fame as the secondary character Nurse Chapel in the original series and in subsequent films. The couple married in 1969.

Roddenberry reappeared in the revamped Star Trek: The Next Generation as one of its beloved recurring characters: Betazoid ambassador Lwaxana Troi and as the voice of the starship's onboard computer — a job she would also hold on spin-offs Deep Space Nine and Voyager, audio books, animated series, video games as well as on the forthcoming J.J. Abrams prequel film.

As noted above, she appeared as three characters in the series -- two of who became fan favorites. But it is her voice work as the voice of the computer, so ubiquitous throughout the entire run of the franchise, that we who love Star Trek may find ourselves missing the most.

In addition to her tie back to the Star Trek's creator, of course.

Rest in Peace, Majel -- and know that you are missed.

Posted by: Greg at 03:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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