Leonard Nimoy, Spock of Star Trek, Has Died at 83

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Friday, February 27, 2015

Brian McIver, GoLocal Contributor

Leonard Nimoy as Spock on Star Trek in the 1960's

"We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human.”

-Captain James T. Kirk

The passing of Leonard Nimoy today is a devastating loss for, not just the nerd/geek community, but for all lovers of great entertainment. It hurts when we lose those faces we grew up with and who shaped our lives.

Even if you don’t like Star Trek you knew who Leonard Nimoy was, he was the Vulcan first officer on the Starship Enterprise. Together with Kirk(William Shatner), Sulu(George Takei), McCoy(DeForest Kelly), Uhura(Nichelle Nichols), Scotty(James Doohan) and all the rest took us on an adventure that has not only shaped our imaginations, but our physical reality.

Spock’s character really stood out as being the frequent voice of reason, Leonard brought that character his presence, and made the entire Vulcan race a truly believable and engaging set piece for the entire Star Trek universe. All you have to do to illicit the Vulcan persona is lift an eyebrow and say: “Fascinating.”

And Leonard Nimoy created that. He made it his, and in doing so made it ours. He helped make Star Trek a symbol of what we want our culture and future to look like going forward. Spock will live forever, and we can hold on to that as other actors move into the role, but today we honor the man that gave us such an epic character.

Mr. Nimoy, from all accounts, was a kind man that never shunned his fans or rejected the role he played for nearly five decades. The truth his he embraced every minute of it creating all kinds of media related to his iconic character. He was also a poet, musician, photographer creating a variety of entertainment for us to enjoy.

It’s hard to put into words the impact he has had on our culture and our lives, and I will miss him. He lived long and prospered, and for that we are truly grateful.