Remembering Those We Lost In 2019

This past year has seen some tragic losses for the Star Trek community. From writers to actors, the fandom has said goodbye to friends who’ve helped make the Trek universe a little brighter. As we move into 2020, let’s take a moment to reflect on those who’ve passed and our fond memories of them.

Aron Eisenberg, who played Nog in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, passed away on September 21 at the age of 50. He described himself as an "actor, filmmaker and proud father," and appeared in 40 episodes of Deep Space Nine as well as one Voyager episode; he was immensely beloved by fans. His full obituary can be found here.

The writer behind many fan-favorite Star Trek: The Original Series episodes, D.C. Fontana passed away on December 2 at the age of 80. Fontana brought Spock’s family famously to life in the episode “Journey to Babel,” and co-wrote the Hugo Award nominated The Next Generation episode “Encounter at Farpoint.” Her obituary can be found here.

The actor, director, and artist (among many things) who starred as Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine passed away December 8 at the age of 79. Auberjonois was a key part of the crew of DS9, using his immense talent to bring the cranky Changeling to life and make him beloved by fans. You can read his full obituary here.

Character actress Barbara March, who played Klingon Lursa in The Next Generation passed away on August 11 at the age of 65. She also appeared in Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Generations. A favorite at conventions, March loved the enduring power that her character had in the Star Trek canon. You can read her full obituary here.

A Nebula and Hugo Award winning writer, Vonda N. McIntyre passed away at the age of 70 on April 1. McIntyre is famous for writing Star Trek novels, including the novelizations of The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home. She even was the first to use Hikaru as Sulu’s first name, which lead to it being canonized. Read her full obituary here.

Best known to Trek fans as Robert Picard from The Next Generation episode “Family,” Jeremy Kemp passed away at age 84 on July 19. Kemp’s powerful performance in that episode makes it an enduring Trek classic, and his scenes with Sir Patrick Stewart are impossible to look away from. You can read his full obituary here.

William Morgan Sheppard, who guest starred in two Trek episodes and appeared in two different Trek films, passed away on January 6 at the age of 86. Sheppard appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek (2009). His full obituary can be found here.

Robert Walker Jr., who guest starred in the second episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, passed away on December 6 at the age of 79. Walker played the titular role of Charlie in “Charlie X,” where his performance stood out as a highlight. You can find his full obituary here.

Dick Miller, a three-time Trek guest star, passed away at age 90 on January 30. The veteran character actor appeared in both The Next Generation episode “The Big Goodbye” as well as the Deep Space Nine two-parter “Past Tense - Part One and Two.” His other credits include The Terminator and Gremlins. You can read his full obituary here.