Lockhart, who spent most of her life on stage or on screen was one of Hollywood’s “very favorite moms,” actor Bill Mumy said.
Actress June Lockhart, who played warm-hearted mom Ruth Martin on CBS’ “Lassie” and space mom Maureen Robinson on “Lost in Space,” which also aired on CBS, has died at 100, her family announced.
Lockhart died of natural causes Oct. 23 at her home in Santa Monica, California, with her daughter June Elizabeth and granddaughter Christianna by her side, according to a statement sent to USA TODAY by her representative, Harlan Boll.
Lockhart became one of the most familiar faces on American television in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, known for her gentle voice and unflappable warmth as the devoted mother on “Lassie” and later embraced the future as the matriarch of the Robinson family in “Lost in Space.” She also played Dr. Janet Craig on “Petticoat Junction.”
June Lockhart, a legacy from stage to screens large and small
Born in New York on June 25, 1925, Lockhart began her acting career in the 1933 production of “Peter Ibbetson” at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. She would go on to appear in moves and TV series. At the age of 13, she appeared in 1938’s “A Christmas Carol,” in which she played a daughter to her parents Gene and Kathleen Lockhart who starred as the Cratchits.
Other early roles included the films “All This, and Heaven Too,” “Sergeant York,” “The Yearling,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and “She-Wolf of London.”
Lockhart “was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood,” People magazine declared upon her death.
On stage, Lockhart won a best newcomer Tony award for her Broadway debut in “For Love or Money” in 1947.
After starring in “Lassie” and “Lost in Space,” Lockhart continued to appear in TV series with recurring roles on “Petticoat Junction,” “General Hospital” and “Beverly Hills 90210.” She also lent her voice to Nickelodeon’s “The Ren & Stimpy Show,” playing the kindly mother in the 1993 episode “Son of Stimpy” – a humorous nod to her iconic TV mom legacy.
She considered “Lost in Space,” as her favorite TV role. “It was so campy,” she told Closer magazine in 2024. “And I truly enjoyed my relationship with my space family.”
Fellow actor Bill Mumy, who played her son on the series, paid tribute to Lockhart in a Facebook post after her death, calling her “a one of a kind, talented, nurturing, adventurous, and non compromising Lady. She did it her way. June will always be one of my very favorite moms.”
In remembrance, the family suggests donations to The Actors Fund, ProPublica and International Hearing Dog, Inc.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected]
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