June Lockhart, Beloved On-Screen Mother, Dead at 100

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June Lockhart, best known for playing a caring mother on both the classic farm series Lassie and the sci-fi adventure Lost in Space, passed away on October 23rd in California at the age of 100. Her daughter, June Elizabeth, shared with Deadline that while acting was her profession, her real interests lay in journalism, politics, science, and NASA. Lockhart particularly loved her role on Lost in Space and was thrilled to learn she had inspired future astronauts, some of whom told her so during visits to NASA – something she valued even more than her many other acting roles. Her Hollywood career began in 1938, when she appeared in The Christmas Carol alongside her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart. Years later, she had a small part in Son of Lassie, hinting at her future role as a mother figure. In 1958, she began playing the Martin family mother on CBS, marking her first regular television series role.

After appearing in many smaller roles, her breakthrough came with the sci-fi series Lost in Space. She played Maureen Robinson, a mother of three who found herself stranded on another planet after her family attempted to flee Earth. While often seen as a motherly figure – even to dog owners! – actress June Lockhart consistently surprised people with her adventurous hobbies. In a 1994 interview with the AP, she shared her love of rock concerts and revealed she’d driven tanks and ridden in hot air balloons. “I also enjoy glider flying – the kind without engines,” she said. “I do a lot of things that people wouldn’t expect from someone with my image.”

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2025-10-26 01:54