June Lockhart, Lassie And Lost In Space Star, Dies At 100

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June Lockhart, best known for her roles in Lassie and Lost in Space, as well as the classic film Meet Me in St. Louis, has died at the age of 100.

Lockhart passed away peacefully at her home in Santa Monica, California, on October 23rd, surrounded by her daughter, June Elizabeth, and granddaughter, Christiana.

I first learned about June Lockhart when digging into classic films, and it’s fascinating to trace her career back to the very beginning. She was born in New York City on June 25, 1925, and acting was truly in her blood – both her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, were performers themselves! What’s really neat is that she made her film debut at just 13 years old, in the 1938 version of A Christmas Carol. It was an uncredited role, she played Belinda Cratchit, and her parents were in the movie too – her dad played Bob Cratchit and her mom was Mrs. Cratchit! Talk about a family affair.

A few years later, in 1944, Joan Lockhart played Lucille Ballard in the Judy Garland film Meet Me in St. Louis. The following year, in 1945, she appeared as Priscilla, the granddaughter of the Duke of Rudling, in Son of Lassie. This role came before her most famous work on the Lassie television show, which would come to define her career.

In 1958, June Lockhart joined the cast of Lassie as Ruth Martin, Paul’s wife and Timmy’s adoptive mother, replacing Cloris Leachman. She continued in this role until 1964, appearing in the show for five seasons. Lockhart received an Emmy nomination for her work on Lassie in 1959.

Following her role in Lassie, June Lockhart became a regular on the CBS science-fiction series Lost in Space. She played Dr. Maureen Robinson, a biochemist and mother whose family found themselves stranded in space, and appeared in all three seasons of the original show, which ran from 1965 to 1968.

As a big fan of Lost in Space, I’ve seen all the different versions over the years. There was the movie back in ’98 where she played a school principal, and then Netflix gave it a really cool reboot that ran for three seasons, from 2018 to 2021. It was awesome to hear her voice as a radio communications officer on Alpha Centauri in the third season of that show – sadly, it turned out to be her final role. It was a neat little part to have in such a beloved series.

After appearing in Lassie and the original Lost in Space, Lockhart had a long run on General Hospital, starring in 46 episodes from 1984 to 1998. He also made guest appearances on popular shows like Magnum, P.I., Full House, Roseanne, 7th Heaven, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Jon Provost, who starred as Timmy in the classic TV series Lassie, is the last surviving member of the show’s original main cast. He is 75 years old and is the one who remains of the principal actors from the series.

June Lockhart’s family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Actors Fund, ProPublica, and International Hearing Dog, Inc.

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2025-10-26 16:38