Damn it. There are some people that should live forever. At least the people that inhabit our dreams should. Unfortunately, that’s not so and early this morning one more person responsible for creating that wonderful dream called Star Trek passed away.

Majel Barrett Roddenbery was there from the beginning right through to the most current incarnation of Star Trek. She played the role of the unnamed ship’s first officer Number One in the Star Trek pilot, later playing the role of Nurse Christine Chapel in the original series, followed by voicing several characters in The Animated Series and the irrepresible Betazoid Ambassador Lwaxana Troi in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. She also provided the voice of the ship’s computer on every version of Star Trek right through and including the J.J. Abrams’ prequel debuting in 2009. However, it was her role as Star Trek creator Gene Roddenbery’s beloved wife that she earned the title “First Lady of Star Trek”.

It might be easy to look upon Majel Barrett Roddenberry and her role in Star Trek, indeed the whole Star Trek franchise, with a jaundiced eye. And while dreams are never quite what we remember of them, the fact remains that Majel Barrett Roddenberry was an essential element in keeping alive the utopian vision of Gene Roddenberry, along with all the cast and crew from that original series. And they helped spur the imaginations and ambitions of countless children and adults who wanted nothing more than to make that dream a reality.

The success of those ambitions should not be measured by the fact that dream has yet to be instantiated but by how far we have come. And I’m not just talking about the technology of Star Trek, although who could have imagined in 1966 how far humankind would advance on that front, but also Roddenberry’s vision of a truly inclusive society in which everyone, regardless of their differences, whatever they may be, could participate fully. It might seem maudlin, and disrespectful of all those who fought for civil rights in the streets, but I can’t imagine that seeing a multicultural crew “boldy going where no one has gone before” couldn’t have shaped young minds and allowed them to see that as the norm versus the hate and bigotry all around them. I know it helped shape me.

So that’s why I’m sad to see Majel Barrett Roddenberry pass from this Earth. I’m sure she was as human as the rest of us, with as many faults and foibles, but she helped create a marvelous dream of the world as it could be. And while she might die, that dream will live on.

The official family statement from Roddenberry.com:

FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE	Media contacts: Sean Rossall / Alfred Hopton 310-550-7776 srossall@bwr-la.com / ahopton@bwr-la.com
“FIRST LADY OF STAR TREK” MAJEL BARRETT RODDENBERRY PASSES AWAY AT THE AGE OF 76
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 18, 2008) – Actress Majel Barrett Roddenberry, beloved star of sci-fi phenomenon Star Trek passed away early this morning surrounded by family and friends. Roddenberry was 76 years old. She began her acting career in the 1950’s with roles in such popular shows as “Leave it to Beaver,” “Bonanza” and “The Lucy Show; but it was her numerous roles in the legendary Star Trek franchise that fans came to know and love her. Roddenberry had featured roles in almost every Star Trek television and film entity and became an iconic figure within the fan community. Her roles included Nurse Chapel in Star Trek: The Original Series, Lwaxana Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the voice of the USS Enterprise computer in almost every incarnation of the series. However, it was the love affair between her and the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry that earned her the title “The First Lady of Star Trek.” Over the course of their more then quarter-century love affair, she became not only Gene’s partner, but also his creative muse. Roddenberry helped Gene expand the Star Trek universe and was an integral part of its continued legacy after his death.  Majel recently completed reprising her role as the voice of the USS Enterprise for J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek film. Roddenberry succumbed to a short battle with Leukemia at 12:27 AM on December 18 in her Bel-Air home. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her son Rod Roddenberry and family friends. She is survived by her only son Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry Jr. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to the CARE Organization or Precious Paws both of which share Roddenberry’s love for animals and dedication to animal rescue. Precious Paws 18034 Ventura Blvd., #430 Encino, CA 91316 www.preciouspaws.org (818) 304-5595 C.A.R.E. P.O. Box 56631 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 www.care4pets.org (818) 685-9980 Funeral details are pending and a public memorial will be scheduled sometime after Christmas or in early 2009. Click here for the Majel Barrett Roddenberry Dedication Page Click here to share your memories and feelings in the Posting Forum dedicated to the loving memory of Majel Barrett Roddenberry: The First Lady of Star Trek.