Famous television actress June Lockhart has died at the age of 100

June Lockhart, actress best known for her iconic roles in “Lassi” and “Lost in Space.” has died. She was 100 years old.

Lockhart died of natural causes at her home in Santa Monica, Calif., with her daughter, June Elizabeth, and granddaughter, Christina, by her side, Fox News Digital has learned.

“June Lockhart, iconic and legendary actress of stage and screen, has passed away, leaving a legacy spanning almost 90 years American Entertainment History” her rep shared.

Lockhart was born New York City On 25 June 1925. She made her stage debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in a 1933 production of “Peter Ibbetson” at the age of 8. At 13, she had already appeared on the silver screen – joining her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, in MGM’s 1938 adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.”

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Famous television actress June Lockhart has died at the age of 100. (Getty Images)

She quickly shared scenes with Hollywood legends, appearing in “All This and Heaven Two” with Bette Davis and Charles Boyer, and playing Gary Cooper’s sister Rosie in “Sergeant York” directed by Howard Hawks in 1941.

By 19, Lockhart was under contract with MGM, earning acclaim as Lucille Ballard in “Meet Me in St. Louis,” directed by Vincent Minnelli.

In 1947, Lockhart made his Broadway debut in “For Love or Money” and won the Tony Award for “Best Newcomer” — then called the Antoinette Perry Award. She created history by bagging this honor for the first time. At that time, the American Theater Wing presented lighter gold medals to men and smaller gold medals to women.

In the 1950s, she won hearts as the gentle, soft-voiced mother in “Lassie.” (Getty Images)

Lockhart’s own medallion — the first TONY ever presented — was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 2008, where it is part of the museum’s permanent entertainment collection.

Lockhart’s warmth and grace translated well to television, where she became America’s most beloved matriarch.

In the 1950s, she won hearts as the gentle, soft-spoken mother in “Lassie,” often working from scripts written by blacklisted writers during the Red Scare. In the 1960s, she attempted to move from the family farm to stardom, playing the role of Maureen Robinson – the staid “space mom” – in “Lost in Space.”

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Regarding her involvement in “Lost in Space,” Lockhart told Fox News Digital in September 2024, “The premise of the series (I was intrigued).

“It was a look at the family dynamics of the scientist and the two boys and how they lived,” she shared. “It was ‘Space Family Robinson,’ a play on ‘Swiss Family Robinson.’

Pictured is June Lockhart who played Ruth Martin on the CBS series Lassie. 1964. (Photo via Getty Images via CBS) (Getty Images)

Lockhart also told Fox News Digital that it’s “great” that so many people still identify with her as their favorite TV mom.

Despite having a secret rebellious side on set, she has always prided herself on her clean image. She was never tempted to take on a lofty role in Hollywood, nor did she feel pressured to look a certain way over the years.

“I wasn’t offered those parts,” she said. “(And) I always eat carefully… In that silver spacesuit, you’d be in good shape.”

Later, she plays Dr. in “Petticoat Junction”. Janet joined as Craig, and lent her voice to Nickelodeon’s cult favorite “Rain and Stimpy,” showing her range and humor spanning generations.

While Lockhart shined on screen, her interest spread far beyond Hollywood. With two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – and five in total for the Lockhart family – she also became a beloved figure in the space community.

American animal actor Baby as Lassie, actresses June Lockhart as Ruth Martin and John Provost as Timmy read the book ‘Lassie’ for the television series of the same name, 1960. ((Photo via CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images))

A lifelong science enthusiast, she a A NASA spokesperson and attended countless launches and landings, standing next to astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin several times.

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In 2013, NASA awarded her the “Exceptional Public Achievement Medal”, in recognition of her decades of advocacy. Space exploration. Her daughter, June Elizabeth, said the tribute meant more to her than any Hollywood accolade.

“Mommy always considered acting her art, her profession, but her true passions were journalism, politics, science and NASA,” her daughter shared. “She loved her role on ‘Lost in Space’ and is happy to know that she inspired many future astronauts, as they will remember her visits to NASA. That means more than the hundreds of television and film roles she played.”

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Astronauts carried her father’s 1921 composition “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise” to the International Space Station.

Her father’s activism – as a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild in the 1930s – also shaped her lifelong belief in fair working conditions. Lockhart joined AFRA (later AFTRA) in 1938 and SAG in 1940, eventually receiving the guild’s prestigious Founder’s Award in 2018.

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Her adventurous spirit never wavered. Encouraged by her dear friend, architect and environmentalist Harry Gessner, Lockhart embraced every opportunity life offered—from singing on stage to Willie Nelson To attend a White House press conference regarding the Eisenhower administration.

Her energy and humor were “endless,” her family said.

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.