IN MEMORIAM: Daily Star Trek News Remembers Those We Lost In 2022
"We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead." - Admiral James T. Kirk, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
As we approach the end of 2022, it is time once again to remember those in the Star Trek family whom we lost throughout the year. Revisit our coverage at the links below, seek out their episodes, films, or other work, and keep their memories alive….
April Dawn Nocifora (7 April 1968 – December 2021): Supervising producer on Star Trek: Discovery.
Douglas Huntley Trumbull (8 April 1942 – 8 February 2022): Visual effects director on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Sally Claire Kellerman (2 June 1937 – 24 February 2022): Portrayed Dr. Eizabeth Dehner in Star Trek: The Original Series’ season one episode (and second pilot), “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”
Laurel Goodwin (11 August 1942 – 25 February 2022): The last living cast member to appear in Star Trek: The Original Series’ first pilot, “The Cage,” as Yeoman J. M. Colt.
Mitchell Ryan (11 January 1934 – 4 March 2022): Portrayed the estranged father of Commander William Riker, Kyle Riker, in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s season two episode, “The Icarus Factor.”
Kathryn Hays (26 July 1933 – 25 March 2022): Appeared as Gem, the titular character in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “The Empath,” from season three.
Marvin J. Chomsky (23 May 1929 – 28 March 2022): Director of three episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, all from season three: "And the Children Shall Lead," "Day of the Dove," and "All Our Yesterdays."
Estelle Harris (22 April 1928 – 2 April 2022): Portrayed the Old Woman in Star Trek: Voyager’s season three episode, “Sacred Ground.”
Nehemiah Persoff (2 August 1919 – 5 April 2022): Played Palor Toff in the third season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “The Most Toys.”
James Elliott Bama (28 April 1926 – 24 April 2022): Created the art for the first print advertisements for Star Trek: The Original Series and for the cover of James Blish’s first collection of adaptations of TOS episodes.
David Birney (23 April 1939 – 27 April 2022): Appeared as the Romulan Senator Letant and the Letant Alien in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s sixth season episode, “Tears of the Prophets.”
Neal Adams (6 June 1941 – 28 April 2022): Comic artist and co-author on “The Time Stealer” for Peter Pan Records and cover artist for the first issue of Star Trek – Green Lantern: The Spectrum War
Harold Antill Livingston (4 September 1924 – 28 April 2022): Screenwriter, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Michael G. Hagerty (10 May 1954 – 29 April 2022): Appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as Captain Larg in season five’s “Redemption II” and as Skoran in season seven’s “Thine Own Self.”
Kenneth Welsh (30 March 1942 – 5 May 2022): Portrayed Senna Tal in Star Trek: Discovery’s third season episodes, “People of Earth” and “Forget Me Not.”
George Pérez (9 June 1954 – 6 May 2022): Drew the cover art for the first three issues of DC’s Star Trek: The Original Series comics and contributed art to DC’s Who’s Who in Star Trek.
Jack Kehler (22 May 1946 – 7 May 2022): Played Jaheel in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s first season episode, “Babel.”
Greg Jein (31 October 1945 – 22 May 2022): Model maker and artist for multiple productions in the Star Trek franchise.
Mary Mara (21 September 1960 – 26 June 2022): Appeared as a Sphere Builder in Star Trek: Enterprise’s third season episodes, "The Council," "Countdown," and "Zero Hour."
Dorothy Duder (9 July 1952 – 1 July 2022): Food stylist for Star Trek: Enterprise and wife of Star Trek scenic artist, Doug Drexler.
Gregory Itzin (20 April 1948 – 8 July 2022): Portrayed multiple characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise.
David Hattersley Warner (29 July 1941 – 24 July 2022): Played St. John Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Gul Madred in the Star Trek: The Next Generation sixth season episodes "Chain of Command, Part I" and "Chain of Command, Part II."
Paul Anthony Sorvino (13 April 1939 – 25 July 2022): Appeared as Nikolai Rozhenko in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s season seven episode, “Homeward.”
Anthony Lee Dow (13 April 1945 – 27 July 2022): Directed “Field of Fire,” a seventh season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Nichelle Nichols (28 December 1932 – 30 July 2022): Portrayed Lt. (Commander) Nyota Uhura throughout the Star Trek: The Original Seriesproductions and campaigned for diversity at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Amanda Mackey Johnson (22 September 1951 – 27 August 2022): Casting on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek: Nemesis.
Marsha Hunt (17 October 1917 – 7 September 2022): Played Anne Jameson in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season episode, “Too Short A Season.”
Marva Hicks (5 May 1956 – 16 September 2022): Appeared as T'Pel, the wife of Tuvok in the Star Trek: Voyager second season episode "Persistence of Vision" and the seventh season episode "Body and Soul."
Estelle Louise Fletcher (22 July 1934 – 23 September 2022): Portrayed Vedek (later Kai) Winn Adami in fourteen episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Gabrielle Beaumont (7 April 1942 – 8 October 2022): The first woman to direct on Star Trek, including seven episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and one episode each of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
Leslie Jordan (29 April 1955 – 24 October 2022): Played the Ferengi, Kol, in Star Trek: Voyager’s season three episode, “False Profits.”
Andrew Prine (14 February 1936 – 31 October 2022): Appeared as Suna in the Star Trek: The Next Generation sixth season episode "Frame of Mind" and Legate Turrel in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine third season episode "Life Support."
John Aniston (24 July 1933 – 11 November 2022): Portrayed the Quarren ambassador in the Star Trek: Voyager seventh season episodes, "Workforce" and "Workforce, Part II."
Kirstie Alley (12 January 1951 – 5 December 2022): Debuted in feature films as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Finally, since our holiday hiatus here at Daily Star Trek News, two more members of the Star Trek family have journeyed into the final frontier:
Judy Levitt in STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. Image: Paramount.
Judith Levitt (24 April 1939 – 9 December 2022): Judy Levitt appeared in three Star Trek films and was the wife of Walter Koenig, Star Trek: The Original Series’ Pavel Chekov. She was a Mercy Hospital doctor in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a Starfleet Command Admiral in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and an El-Aurian survivor in Star Trek: Generations.
SCIFI.radio reported Levitt’s death and summarized her career, which also included appearances on Babylon 5 and Mission Impossible. Her daughter, Danielle Koenig, initially shared the news on Instagram, and said, “It is with great sadness that I’m sharing the news that my mom, the beautiful, effervescent, kind, goofy and wildly talented Judy Koenig, passed away last Friday. She was a great friend, wife, grandmother, aunt and mother-in-law. But to me (who she called DanyBeth), she will always be my Mumsly.”
Maggie Thrett in STAR TREK's "Mudd's Women". Image: Paramount.
Maggie Thrett (Diane Pine) (18 November 1946 – 18 December 2022): Diane Pine (as Maggie Thrett) appeared as one of “Mudd’s Women,” Ruth Bonaventure, in that first season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.
The Hollywood Reporter announced her death on December 23rd. Outside of Star Trek, Thrett was a dancer, singer, and model, and she appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar. She adopted her stage name at the suggestion of music producer Bob Crewe because, he said, it “sounded British and more with it for the time.” Thrett signed with Universal Pictures in 1966 and went on to appear in films and television, including The Devil’s Brigade (1968), The Wild, Wild West, and I Dream of Jeannie. She left acting in 1974.
As we look to the new year and the potential of a Star Trek future, we remember those who have paved the way. Our hope is for peace and fond memories for those whom they left to carry on.
David is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. He is a librarian, baseball fan, and book and movie buff. He has also written for American Libraries and Skeptical Inquirer. David also enjoys diverse music, but leans toward classical and jazz. He plays a mean radio.
