June Lockhart

June Lockhart, who was best known for her motherly TV roles on "Lassie" and "Lost in Space, died October 23, 2025, of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, California.

Bill Mumy, who played her character's son on "Lost in Space," remembered her fondly in a social media post: "A one of a kind, talented, nurturing, adventurous, and non compromising Lady. She did it her way. June will always be one of my very favorite moms."

Born June 25, 1925, in New York City, Lockhart was the daughter of Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, both of whom were actors. Her film debut came alongside her parents in the 1938 adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" – her parents played Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit, while she played their daughter, Belinda. Another early role came on Broadway, where she won the 1948 Special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for her part in "For Love or Money," Her other early films included a small role in "Meet Me in St. Louis" and a prescient turn in the 1945 feature "Son of Lassie." It was only 13 years before she returned to the world of Lassie, this time on the small screen.

Lockhart joined the cast of "Lassie" in 1958, and the role on the popular TV show established her as a mother figure to a generation of viewers. She played Ruth Martin, adoptive mom to Timmy in the classic boy-and-his-dog show. After the Martin family was written out of the show in 1964, Lockhart moved to another motherly role, playing Dr. Maureen Robinson on the sci-fi cult classic "Lost in Space." By the time "Lost in Space" was cancelled in 1968, Lockhart was all but typecast as a mom, and she moved into a mother figure role in the last two seasons of "Petticoat Junction."

In the years after her best-known shows, Lockhart was frequently seen on TV, with notable guest spots on shows including "Falcon Crest," "Murder, She Wrote," "Full House," "Babylon 5," "Roseanne," "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "Grey's Anatomy." In 1998, she had a small role as Principal Cartwright in the big-screen adaptation of "Lost in Space," and in the 21st century Netflix reboot, she had a cameo as the voice of Alpha Control.

In 2013, Lockhart was honored by NASA with the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring the public toward space exploration. Lockhart was thrilled with the award, having already been a longtime supporter of NASA and its astronauts. She attended many NASA launches and was sometimes able to work with the astronauts, as when she interviewed the crew of Apollo 12 for the 1970 Rose Bowl Parade.

Among those who paid tribute to Lockhart after her death was Jon Provost, who played Timmy Martin, her TV son on "Lassie." He said in a Facebook post, "[S]he truly was my second mother. I remember some advice June gave me early on. We were on the set and I was misbehaving a bit, being a little mischievous. June took me aside, and very firmly explained to me that we were professionals and that we had a job to do. She told me that I was a young boy playing a young boy, but that one day I would be an adult, playing an adult like her. June was a true professional, with a kind heart and an open mind."

By Linnea Crowther

(Image: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)