Leonard Nimoy, the legendary actor known around the world as the Vulcan Mr. Spock in the Star Trek universe, died this morning at his home in Los Angeles, according to the NY Times. He was 83.

The actor had revealed last year that after years of smoking he had been diagnosed with COPD, a progressive lung disease that affects one’s ability to breathe, and was hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center for chest pains on Thursday, February 19, 2015, after a call to 911 was placed.

The NY Times reports that Nimoy’s wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed her husband’s death, revealing the cause was end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Boston-born Nimoy played the half-human half-Vulcan pointy-eared Mr. Spock on the original 1960’s Star Trek television series, along with its big-screen sequels and animated television series, as well as J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film reboot and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness (he also reprised the role for Star Trek: The Next Generation). While best-known for Star Trek — some of the films of which he also directed — Nimoy appeared on many television series in the 1960s, including a stint on Mission: Impossible. He also directed 1987’s Three Men and a Baby; appeared in Fox’s Fringe televisions series from 2009 to 2012; and voiced Sentinel Prime in 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon (he had voiced Galvatron in the 1986 animated feature The Transformers: The Movie). The actor and his Trek character are often referenced on the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory, in which Nimoy provided the voice for a Spock action figure in the 2012 episode “The Transporter Malfunction.” (The show even came up with a “rock-paper-scissors” game variation called Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock, where everyone of course kept picking Spock).

Along with being an actor and director, Nimoy also pursued poetry, photography, and music, and authored two autobiographies, 1975’s I Am Not Spock and its follow-up in 1995 when he embraced his TV alter ego, I Am Spock.

He was active on social media, signing off his posts with LLAP, the acronym for Spock’s famous valediction, “Live long and prosper.” Nimoy did in fact live long and prospered, although in this day and age, 83 feels too soon to lose someone, especially someone of his magnitude.

In 1984’s Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, which Nimoy directed, the crew of the Enterprise was on a mission to locate the presumed-dead Spock, who they discovered had transferred his katra (his soul/spirit) to Dr. McCoy (“Bones”) just before his death so that his body and mind could possibly eventually be rejoined in life again. It’s times like these that one wishes that science fiction could become reality. While Nimoy has left this earth, his katra lives on in the minds of all his loved ones and fans throughout the world.

All of us here at Geeks Of Doom mourn the loss today of this great legend, the one-of-a-kind Leonard Nimoy.

RIP Leonard Nimoy
March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015

Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most … human.

Update – Nimoy’s family has posted to Twitter:

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015 Read: http://t.co/pw7zYRRlts

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 27, 2015

Update – Nimoy’s long-time co-star William Shatner (Captain Kirk on Star Trek) posted about his friend’s passing:

Here’s Nimoy’s final posts to Twitter:

A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015

I will be sharing my poetry. Today's is, "You and I have Learned," which is in my book, These Words Are for You. LLAP pic.twitter.com/CsHAtmtDnz

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 22, 2015

Here’s what Nimoy posted early last year after revealing that he had COPD:

I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) January 30, 2014

Smokers, please understand. If you quit after you're diagnosed with lung damage it's too late. Grandpa says learn my lesson. Quit now. LLAP.

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 6, 2014

[Source: NY Times]

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