Majel Roddenberry (Barrett): The Original First Lady of Star Trek, Dead at 76

As a fan of Star Trek, it came as a shock to me when I found out that this beautiful and talented actress had passed away. From Leukemia no less, which astounded me even more.

To me, and to millions of other fans, she will always be the flamboyant Lwaxnna Troi, and to many more, Nurse Christine Chapel. Her career in Star Trek goes back to the beginning, literally. Originally, in the pilot episode of the Star Trek, she was slated to play the role of the second in command. However, once everything was said and done, she ended up in the role of Nurse Christine Chapel.

She was also the coolly detached voice of the USS Enterprise's computer for the various series, and for 6 of the 10 "Star Trek" movies, including the newest installment, which is scheduled for release next year. Frankly, I always loved that calm and cool voice. Somehow, when they were in the middle of a self-destruct sequence, it just wasn't as bad with her voice calmly telling you the count down!

It should also be noted that, several years after the death of her husband, Gene Roddenberry, who was the creator of "Star Trek," a pilot script for a series he had written in the 1970's was found. This resulted in the series: "Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict", in which she also played a recurring role. Incidentally, she was also an Executive Produce for this show, as well as "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda." Let's just say, the lady was multi-talented!

I am also very happy to say that unlike some celebrities, Majel and Gene both maintained warm relationships with their fans. In fact, according to one source, Majel attended conventions on a regular basis, including one in August 2008 in Las Vegas. She attended her first convention with her husband in 1972.

As many people have said over the years, no one could have predicted the success that Star Trek would have, considering that the original series was only on for three years. Of course, truthfully, I was not a fan myself until I started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. I can see however, that the addition of Majel to the cast was not out of line. She did a wonderful job playing the role of Deanna Troi's mother, Lwaxnna, and I can truthfully say that I will miss seeing her in that role. I hope that like Spock, Kirk, and Picard, she will become a legend in her own right. She certainly deserves it.

She is survived by her son, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry Jr.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-roddenberry19-2008dec19,0,1408615.story?track=rss