Majel Barrett Roddenberry who played Nurse Chapel on classic “Star Trek” and Lwaxana Troi on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” has passed away at the age of 76 according to the Associated Press. Roddenberry was the widow of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, died Thursday of leukemia at her home in Bel-Air, Calif., her representative said.
According to reports, she was surrounded by her family friends and her only son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr. Gene Roddenberry died in 1991.
Roddenberry was cast as the original Number One in the pilot of “Star Trek”, “The Cage.” When NBC wanted the series retooled, Barrett Roddenberry’s character was one of those written out of the series, but the actress returned to play Nurse Chapel, who harbored a crush on the Vulcan, Mr. Spock. Roddenberry also served as the computer voice for each starship named Enterprise in “Star Trek” and all of its spin-offs. We will have news on this week’s show about Roddenberry’s continued involvement in that role in the upcoming J.J. Abrams reboot.
Her romance with Roddenberry earned her the title The First Lady of “Star Trek”.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Roddenberry family during this time.
Tears are streaming down my face….another one of my Heros is gone. Such sadness i can not continue to write…. My prayers for her son and other family members. She will be missed in my household.
What a great lady. I named my car’s GPS system after her; cuz it talks to me.
I’ve always enjoyed seeing her on the small and big screen. She’ll be missed.
I’m very sad to hear of her passing. Hopefully the Great Bird of the Galaxy and his First Lady are reunited once again.
Wow. Somehow it never occurred to me that this day would come. She loved the work and the fans with so much energy it’s hard to imagine that she is gone. She will always hold a special place in my heart.
I was very impressed with her as a person.She was totally devoted to Gene and her son.When I saw her at cons,you could always tell when she was in the room,she just gave off so much energy, it was infectious.She loved the fans and they loved her.I am very sorry that I will no longer get to experience her presence.
While we have lost another great one, the universe is the richer now that the Great Bird and his Great Lady have been reunited for eternity. Live Long and Prosper and you both continue boldly going where no one has gone before.
Wow. This is so sad. I had no idea she was ill.
I’m sitting here at work, stunned to read this news.
My condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to her family of fans.
Some day, and very soon, someone will crack the code that will either cure this disease or at least make it manageable until a cure is found.
One of the reasons that person will have gone into medicine is because of being intrigued by Star Trek’s cool sick bay with the medical technology of the future. (And because Nurse Chappel was cool, too!)
I have no other words except: Sam, you nailed it.