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June Lockhart, the beloved actress best known for her iconic roles in “Lassie” and “Lost in Space,” has died. She was 100.
Lockhart died of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, California, with her daughter, June Elizabeth, and granddaughter, Christianna, by her side, Fox News Digital has learned.
“Iconic and legendary actress of stage and screen June Lockhart dies, leaving a legacy of nearly 90 years of American entertainment history,” her rep shared.
Lockhart was born in New York City on June 25, 1925. She made her stage debut at just 8 years old in the 1933 production of “Peter Ibbetson” at the Metropolitan Opera House. By 13, she had already appeared on the silver screen, joining her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, in MGM’s 1938 adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.”
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Iconic television actress June Lockhart has died at 100. (Getty Images)
She quickly shared scenes with Hollywood legends, appearing in “All This and Heaven Too” with Bette Davis and Charles Boyer and, in 1941, playing Rosie, the sister of Gary Cooper’s character in “Sergeant York,” directed by Howard Hawks.
By 19, Lockhart was under contract with MGM, earning acclaim as Lucille Ballard in “Meet Me in St. Louis,” directed by Vincente Minnelli.
In 1947, Lockhart made her Broadway debut in “For Love or Money,” earning a Tony Award — then called the Antoinette Perry Award — for “best newcomer.” She made history as the first-ever recipient of the honor. At the time, The American Theatre Wing presented men with lighters and women with small gold medallions.
In the 1950s, she won hearts as the gentle, soft-voiced mom in “Lassie.” (Getty Images)
Lockhart’s own medallion — the first Tony ever presented — was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 2008, where it remains part of the museum’s permanent entertainment archives.
Lockhart’s warmth and grace translated perfectly to television, where she became one of America’s most beloved matriarchs.
In the 1950s, she won hearts as the gentle, soft-voiced mom in “Lassie,” often working from scripts written by blacklisted writers during the Red Scare. In the 1960s, she boldly went from the family farm to the stars, portraying Maureen Robinson, the steadfast “space mom” in “Lost in Space.”
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“The premise of the series [intrigued me],” Lockhart told Fox News Digital in September 2024 of her involvement in “Lost in Space.”
“It was a view of family dynamics of a marooned group of scientists and two children and how they survived,” she shared. “It was ‘Space Family Robinson,’ a play on ‘Swiss Family Robinson.’ … Each of my costars was a wonderful professional. It was a very happy set with lots of laughs and genuine affection between us.”
June Lockhart, who portrays Ruth Martin in the CBS series “Lassie,” in 1964. (CBS via Getty Images)
Lockhart also told Fox News Digital it was “great” that many still recognized her as their favorite TV mom.
Despite having a secret rebellious side on set, she’s always been proud of her squeaky-clean image. She was never tempted to take on a sultry role in Hollywood, nor did she feel pressured over the years to look a certain way.
“I was not offered those parts,” she said. “[And] I always eat carefully. … In that silver spacesuit, you had better be in shape.”
Later, she joined “Petticoat Junction” as Dr. Janet Craig and even lent her voice to Nickelodeon’s cult favorite “Ren & Stimpy,” showing her range and humor spanned generations.
While Lockhart shined on screen, her passion stretched far beyond Hollywood. With two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — and five total for the Lockhart family — she also became a beloved figure in the space community.
American animal actor Baby as Lassie, actress June Lockhart as Ruth Martin and Jon Provost as Timmy as they read the book “Lassie” for the television series of the same name in 1960. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
A lifelong science enthusiast, she served as a NASA spokesperson and attended countless launches and landings, often standing beside astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
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In 2013, NASA honored her with the “Exceptional Public Achievement Medal,” recognizing her decades-long advocacy for space exploration. Her daughter, June Elizabeth, said that tribute meant more to her than any Hollywood accolade.
“Mommy always considered acting as her craft, her vocation, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA,” her daughter shared. “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 movie roles she played.”
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Astronauts even carried her father’s 1921 composition, “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise,” aboard the International Space Station.
Her father’s activism as a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild in the 1930s also shaped her lifelong belief in fair working conditions. Lockhart joined AFRA (later AFTRA) in 1938 and SAG in 1940, eventually earning the Guild’s prestigious Founders Award in 2018.
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Her adventurous spirit never dimmed. Encouraged by her dear friend, architect and environmentalist Harry Gessner, Lockhart embraced every opportunity life offered, from singing onstage with Willie Nelson to attending White House press briefings dating back to the Eisenhower administration.
Her family said her energy and humor were “endless.”
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
