June Lockhart, the US actress who became a mother figure to a generations on television in “Lassie” and later in “Lost in Space,” has died aged 100.
Lockhart died Thursday of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, family spokesman Lyle Gregory, a friend of 40 years, said Saturday.
“She was very happy up until the very end, reading the New York Times and LA Times everyday,” he said.
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“It was very important to her to stay focused on the news of the day.”
The daughter of character actor Gene Lockhart, June made her mark in film before finding lasting fame on TV.
From 1958 to 1964, she played Ruth Martin, the adoptive mother of Timmy, in the CBS classic “Lassie.”
She then became Maureen Robinson, the reassuring mother aboard the Jupiter II in “Lost in Space” from 1965 to 1968.
June Lockhart in “Lost in Space.” Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp.
Lockhart continued acting well into her 90’s. Credit: AP
Offscreen, she was known for her adventurous spirit.
“I love rock ‘n’ roll and going to the concerts. I have driven Army tanks and flown in hot air balloons,” she said in a 1994 interview.
Lockhart later returned to stage and screen, appearing in TV soaps, episodic dramas, and touring productions including “Steel Magnolias” and “Bedroom Farce.”
“Her true passion was journalism,” her spokesman said.
“She loved going to the White House briefing rooms.”
Lockhart’s career spanned over eight decades, leaving a lasting legacy as one of television’s most beloved maternal figures.
“How wonderful that in a career there is one role for which you are known,” she once reflected.
— with CNN
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