June Lockhart, whose warm on-screen presence made her a beloved figure in American television for generations, died of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, California, on October 23, 2025. She was 100 years old, and her daughter June Elizabeth and granddaughter Christianna were by her side, according to her family spokesperson, as reported by CBS News and The Hollywood Reporter.
Lockhart’s passing marks the end of a remarkable era in Hollywood. Born on June 25, 1925, in New York City, she was the only child of Gene Lockhart, an Oscar-nominated character actor, and Kathleen Lockhart, a celebrated actress and singer. The arts ran deep in the family—her parents met through Thomas Edison while promoting the phonograph, and together, they appeared as Bob and Emily Cratchit in MGM’s 1938 adaptation of A Christmas Carol. The young June played their on-screen daughter, Belinda Cratchit, in her film debut. As she once quipped, “You could say I am one of Edison’s good ideas.” (The Hollywood Reporter).
Her early exposure to the stage came even sooner: at just 8 years old, Lockhart performed as Mimsey in a Metropolitan Opera production of Peter Ibbetson. After the family moved to Southern California in 1934, she attended Westlake School for Girls, balancing her studies with weekends spent water-skiing at Lake Arrowhead and, increasingly, with acting gigs that would soon define her life. By age 25, she’d appeared in films alongside the likes of Charles Boyer, Bette Davis, Gary Cooper, and Judy Garland, including memorable roles in All This, and Heaven Too (1940), Sergeant York (1941), and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.
But it was the Broadway stage that first brought her major critical acclaim. In 1947, Lockhart starred as the ingénue in the comedy For Love or Money with John Loder, earning the very first Tony Award for Best Newcomer—a now-defunct category. Her trophy would later find a home at the Smithsonian Institution, a testament to her place in theater history. That same year, she was named Woman of the Year for Drama by the Associated Press.
Lockhart’s television career blossomed in the 1950s with appearances on Zane Grey Theater, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, and The United States Steel Hour. But her true breakthrough came in 1958, when she stepped into the role of Ruth Martin, the patient and loving mother on the long-running CBS series Lassie. She replaced Cloris Leachman at the start of the show’s fifth season, a decision she once reflected on with gratitude: “I thought about what I had been offered and said to myself, ‘What am I being so damn grand about?’ I have two children to support, the part they want me to play has a lot of dignity, the show is already on the air, I wouldn’t have to film a pilot, and they have a sponsor. This is a really great gift that has been offered to me.” (The Hollywood Reporter).
Over the next six years, Lockhart brought substance to the role of the strong farm wife, always worried about the family’s bean crop and guiding her adopted son Timmy (played by Jon Provost) through life’s lessons—often with a little help from a certain heroic collie. She appeared in more than 200 episodes, received an Emmy nomination in 1959, and became a staple in American living rooms. The show’s format eventually changed, and Lockhart, along with her on-screen family, was written out, but she looked back fondly, telling Los Angeles Times, “I certainly enjoyed Lassie. I’d be with it yet if they hadn’t changed the format.”
Lockhart didn’t miss a beat. In 1965, she took on the role of Maureen Robinson, the biochemist and matriarch in the sci-fi adventure Lost in Space. The show, which ran until 1968, followed the Robinson family as they struggled to survive after their spacecraft veered off course during a colonization mission. Lockhart’s portrayal was both nurturing and resilient, and she quickly became an icon to a new generation. Her daughter later remarked, “She cherished playing her role in Lost in Space and she was delighted to know that she inspired many future astronauts, as they would remind her on visits to NASA. That meant even more to her than the hundreds of television and movies roles she played.” (CBS News).
After Lost in Space ended, Lockhart joined the cast of Petticoat Junction as Dr. Janet Craig, the “lady doctor” who brought both medical expertise and warmth to Hooterville until the show’s conclusion in 1970. Throughout her career, Lockhart’s versatility shone through—she appeared in everything from General Hospital and The Drew Carey Show to Full House, Beverly Hills, 90210, and even a cameo in the 1998 Lost in Space movie. Her final credit was a voice role in the 2018 Netflix reboot of Lost in Space.
Off-screen, Lockhart’s interests were as varied as her acting credits. She was a regular on the news quiz show Who Said That? and, thanks to her encyclopedic knowledge of current events, became an unofficial member of the White House press corps. She attended presidential briefings, traveled with the Nixon and Kennedy campaigns, and even asked President George W. Bush about the family dog’s veterinarian—a moment he jokingly called “top secret.” (Los Angeles Times).
Lockhart’s passion for science and space exploration was legendary. While working on Lost in Space, she became a NASA spokesperson, attending launches and landings, and mixing with astronauts and their families. In 2013, NASA honored her with the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal. She also brought her father’s song, “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise,” to NASA’s attention, and it was used to wake the Columbia Space Shuttle crew each day in 1992.
Her daughter, June, summed up her mother’s legacy: “Mommy always considered acting as her craft, her vocation, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA.” Donations in Lockhart’s memory can be made to the Entertainment Community Fund, ProPublica, or Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, reflecting her lifelong commitment to the arts, journalism, and public service.
June Lockhart’s life was a tapestry woven from Hollywood’s golden age to the digital era, marked by compassion, curiosity, and an unwavering dedication to her craft and her causes. Her influence will be felt for generations—by those who watched her on screen, those she inspired to reach for the stars, and those who simply remember her as television’s favorite mom.
