Leonard Nimoy, the sonorous, gaunt-faced actor who won a worshipful global following as Mr. Spock, the resolutely logical human-alien first officer of the Starship Enterprise in the television and movie juggernaut “Star Trek,” died on Friday morning at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. He was 83.
His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed his death, saying the cause was end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mr. Nimoy announced that he had the disease last year, attributing it to years of smoking, a habit he had given up three decades earlier. He had been hospitalized earlier in the week.
I am one of a vanishing breed who remembers actually watching Star Trek when it made its first appearance on television in the sixties.
I, of course, was too young to pick up on the not so subtle messages inserted in each episode against war, against organized religion, and against racism. Instead I was incredibly fascinated with the whole beaming of people on and off the Enterprise, and of course the space monsters, aliens, and green skinned women.
However as the years have gone by, and I have seen every TV episode multiple times, and each of the movies at least once, I have become incredibly impressed with the concept of the show and its amazing cast.
And of course for me the most impressive cast member was always Leonard Nimoy.
For an awkward, precocious child trying to make sense of the world, and questioning the "facts" being presented by the adults, I always found myself relating to Mr. Spock most of all.
But let's face it, EVERYBODY loves Spock.
Even the President of the United States.
I personally have always thought that this Mr. Spock quote was his best:
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."
And one I should mention that I have adopted as a personal creed. Which of course puts me at odds with certain political ideologies I could name.
Finally I would offer Mr. Nimoy the traditional Vulcan send off of "Live long and Prosper" but considering the circumstances that would be.....illogical.
