June Lockhart, the actress known for Lassie, Lost in Space and Meet Me in St. Louis, has died. She was 100.
The Tony-winning actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood died Thursday night of natural causes at her Santa Monica home with daughter June Elizabeth and granddaughter Christianna by her side.
“Mommy always considered acting as her craft, her vocation, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA,” said 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 movies roles she played.”
Born June 25, 1925 in New York City, Lockhart began acting at age 8 with her stage debut in a 1933 production of Peter Ibbetson at the Metropolitan Opera House. At 13, she made her screen debut as Belinda Cratchit in MGM’s A Christmas Carol (1938), starring her parents Gene and Kathleen Lockhart as Bob and Mrs. Cratchit. She went on to become a contract player for MGM at 19.
Lassie and June Lockhart in ‘The Story of Lassie’ (1994) (Janson Media/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Lockhart played Lucille in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), in addition to appearing in such films as She-Wolf of London (1946), Bury Me Dead (1947), Troll (1986) and One Night at McCool’s (2001).
Most known for playing Ruth in the Lassie TV series and Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, Lockhart has also appeared on shows like Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Bewitched, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Petticoat Junction, Happy Days, Magnum P.I., Falcon Crest, Full House, Roseanne, 7th Heaven, Beverly Hills 90210 and Grey’s Anatomy.
Following her role on Lost in Space, she had a cameo in the 1998 movie adaptation, as well as Netflix’s 2021 series reboot. The project also led to her becoming a NASA spokesperson, attending numerous launches and landings over the decades. In 2013, NASA honored her with the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for her impact on space exploration.
Lockhart’s 1947 Broadway debut in For Love or Money earned her the inaugural Tony for Best Newcomer, which she later donated to the Smithsonian. She was also honored with two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for film and another for television.
In lieu of flowers, Lockhart’s family asks that donations be made to The Actors Fund, ProPublica and International Hearing Dog, Inc.
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