Leonard Nimoy, the famous actor who embodied Mr. Spock at the Star Trek series, died last week Friday at his home in Los Angeles. The man who played one of the most loved characters, the pointy-eared, half-Vulcan was 83 years old. Leonard Nimoy’s death was confirmed by his wife, Susan Bay Nimoy to The New York Times. According to her, Nimoy’s death was due to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, of which the actor had openly spoken last year on Twitter: ‘Just can’t walk distances. Love my life, family, friends and followers.’
As millions of fans around the world mourned Leonard Nimoy’s death, the Star Trek legend’s family, friends, former costars and colleagues also gathered for a celebration of his life during an intimate funeral that held on Sunday. Almost 300 people attended the funeral ceremony including Star Trek director J.J. Abrams and actors Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine.
Rabbi John L. Rosove, who delivered the eulogy at the service and a cousin of Nimoy’s widow, Susan Bay, said of Nimoy:
“There was nobody there who didn’t mean something to Susan and Leonard or to their children and grandchildren. They were on so many dimensions with each other. They were what each of them called each other’s ‘natural husband’ and ‘natural wife.’ Nimoy ‘absolutely adored Susan,’ says Rosove. She brought him out of darkness. They would talk deeply about everything. They just opened each other’s hearts and were really there for each other.”
President Barrack Obama, who is known to be a super-fan of the Star Trek franchise and Spock character, also mourned Leonard Nimoy’s death when the news of his passing away was announced.
You can read Obama’s full statement on Leonard Nimoy’s death here:
Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future.
I loved Spock.
In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for “Live long and prosper.” And after 83 years on this planet – and on his visits to many others – it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today
Among the stars that first reacted to Nimoy’s death, were William Shatner and Zachary Quinto.
‘I loved him like a brother’, William Shatner who played Capt. James T. Kirk on ‘Star Trek’, wrote on Facebook. ‘We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love.’
Zachary Quinto, who has played the role of Mr. Spock in the two latest Star Trek movies and is going to play the character for the third time as well, shared his thoughts on Instagram:
Nimoy portrayed Spock for 40 years, with his most recent appearances being his roles in 2009’s ‘Star Trek’ and 2013’s ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’. Apart from acting, Nimoy also sat in the director’s chair for movies like ‘3 Men And A Baby’ as well as Star Trek films like ‘The Search For Spock’ and ‘The Voyage Home’. Furthermore, Leonard Nimoy was also an accomplished voice actor, “lending” his voice in episodes of ‘The Simpsons’, ‘Atlantis: The Lost Empire’, ‘Transformers: The Movie’, ‘The Pagemaster’ and other projects, including video games. His most recent role was the recurring one of ‘William Bell’ in the TV show, Fringe.
Nimoy is survived by his wife, two children from his first marriage to actress Sandra Zober, his stepson and grandchildren. Rest In Peace.
(Photo Credit: CBS via Getty Images)
