June Lockhart during CBS at 75 – Commemorating CBS’S 75th Anniversary – Arrivals at The Hammerstein Theater in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Robin Platzer/FilmMagic)
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June Lockhart, the beloved and iconic actress whose career spanned nearly nine decades across stage, film, and television, died peacefully of natural causes on October 23 at her home in Santa Monica, California, with her daughter June Elizabeth and granddaughter Christianna by her side. She was 100.
Born in New York City on June 25, 1925, Lockhart made her stage debut at the age of eight in the 1933 production of Peter Ibbetson at the Metropolitan Opera House. She made her film debut at just thirteen in MGM’s 1938 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, appearing alongside her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart. She went on to share the screen with Bette Davis and Charles Boyer in All This and Heaven Too (1940) and with Gary Cooper in Sergeant York (1941). At nineteen, as a contract player at MGM, she appeared as the clever and charming Lucille Ballard in the 1944 classic Meet Me in St. Louis, directed by Vincente Minnelli.
LOS ANGELES – APRIL 4: Actress June Lockhart arrives at Warner Home Video’s 60th anniversary DVD release reception and screening of “Meet Me in St. Louis” at the Directors Guild on April 4, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Lockhart’s Broadway debut came in For Love or Money (1947), earning her the first-ever Tony Award (then the Antoinette Perry Award) for Outstanding Newcomer. The gold medallion she received was later donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 2008, where it remains part of their permanent entertainment collection.
To television audiences, Lockhart became a fixture of mid-century American life, best known for portraying warm, intelligent, and steadfast mothers. She played Ruth Martin, Timmy’s devoted mom, on Lassie from 1958 to 1964; Maureen Robinson, the spacefaring matriarch of Lost in Space from 1965 to 1968; and Dr. Janet Craig on Petticoat Junction from 1968 to 1970. Her many guest roles included appearances on Happy Days, Magnum, P.I., Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Full House, Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Promotional portrait of 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, 1960. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 24: Cast of “Lost In Space” at The Hollywood Show held at The Westin Hotel LAX on January 24, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
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Lockhart held two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—one for motion pictures and one for television—part of a family legacy of five stars shared by the Lockharts. Beyond entertainment, she was a passionate advocate for science and space exploration, long associated with NASA. A familiar presence at launches and anniversaries, she attended the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Moon landing in 2009 alongside astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. In 2013, NASA honored her contributions with the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal, recognizing her enduring support for the agency’s mission and her inspiration to generations of explorers.
“Mommy always considered acting her craft and vocation,” said her daughter June Elizabeth. “But her true passions were journalism, politics, science, and NASA. She cherished her time on Lost in Space and was deeply moved that so many astronauts told her she inspired their dreams.”
Throughout her life, Lockhart championed animal welfare, supporting organizations such as the Santa Monica Mounted Police Horses and serving as National Spokesperson for International Hearing Dog Inc. She adored her grand-pug, Massimo, who was her constant companion and source of laughter.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Actors Fund, ProPublica, and International Hearing Dog, Inc.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcberman1/2025/10/25/june-lockhart-lost-in-space-and-lassie-actress-dies-at-100/
