June Lockhart inspired generations through iconic roles in “Lassie” and “Lost in Space” during her remarkable eight-decade career in entertainment.
June Lockhart, a celebrated American actress remembered for her impact on film and television, has died at the age of 100. Her passing occurred on Thursday evening due to natural causes. Her daughter June Lockhart Jr. and her granddaughter Christianna stayed by her side, People reported.
Lyle Gregory, a family spokesperson and close friend for 40 years shared with the Associated Press: “She kept her passion alive to the very end. She read both the New York Times and LA Times. Keeping up with the news always mattered to her.”
National Symphony Orchestra Conductor Emil de Cou, right, listens to Actress June Lockhart introduce a set of space themed music during the “Salute to Apollo” ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, July 18, 2009, in Washington.
Photo credit: Bill Ingalls, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Born in 1925 in New York City, June Lockhart grew up in an acting family with parents Gene Lockhart, a Canadian-American actor, and Kathleen Arthur, an English-born actress. She made her stage debut at eight in the Metropolitan Opera’s Peter Ibbetson. Her film debut came in 1938 where she played Bob Cratchit’s daughter in A Christmas Carol, marking the beginning of her illustrious film career.
On Broadway, she starred in For Love or Money in 1947 and later appeared in The Grand Prize in 1955. Her role in For Love or Money earned her a special Tony award in 1948 for an outstanding debut.
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The American actress began her television career back in 1949 and showed up on shows like Hallmark Hall of Fame, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Wagon Train, and Gunsmoke. Over almost eight decades in entertainment, she stayed active and appeared in series such as Petticoat Junction, General Hospital, Beverly Hills 90210, The Beverly Hillbillies, Happy Days, Full House, Roseanne, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Lockhart became well-known when she starred as Ruth Martin in Lassie starting in 1958. From 1965 to 1968, she took on the role of Maureen Robinson, a mother in a space-traveling family in Lost in Space. Decades later, in 2021, she lent her voice for a brief voice cameo in Netflix’s new version of the series.
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June Lockhart, 1947
Photographer-Alexander Bender, New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
During a 2004 interview with NPR, Lockhart talked about the effect Lost in Space had on people. She mentioned that viewers often told her the show inspired them to become scientists. She added, “I did Lassie for six years, and no one ever came up to me and said it made them want to be a farmer.”
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Throughout her film and television career, Lockhart earned two Emmy nominations. One included best actress in a leading dramatic series for Lassie. She also got two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor her work in film and television.
She married John F. Maloney in 1951. They had two daughters named Anne Lockhart and June Elizabeth Lockhart Jr. Their marriage ended in 1959.
The family will hold private funeral services. Instead of sending flowers, they ask people to donate to the Actors Fund, ProPublica, or International Hearing Dog Inc.
Source:
Marina Dunbar (October 25, 2025). Actor June Lockhart of Lost in Space and Lassie fame dies aged 100. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/25/actor-june-lockhart-dies-aged-100
Header Imaage:
National Symphony Orchestra Conductor Emil de Cou, right, listens to Actress June Lockhart introduce a set of space themed music during the “Salute to Apollo” ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, July 18, 2009, in Washington.
Photo credit: Bill Ingalls, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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