In Honor of Majel Barrett Roddenberry

Learned the sad news of Majel Barrett's death when reading an obituary of Forrest J. Ackerman in the FT. I didn't know or know of Ackerman until I read the obit (although it sounds like his likeness got worked into not a few Ray Bradbury stories). But I did have the chance/honor to get Barrett's autograph when she was in Milwaukee for Gen Con in the early or mid-1990s.

Years later, I read a biography of Gene Roddenberry, and while I can't now recall the specifics, it was clear that Barrett was a key and crucial element to Star Trek and to Roddenberry grappling with his vision and getting it expressed. She was an unsung hero and a stalwart companion to the Great Bird of the Galaxy, perhaps the wind beneath his wings.

At the time I encountered her across a table briefly in the autograph line, her autograph seemed not that important; I didn't know anything about her except that she played Luxuana Troi and Nurse Chapel. But now, I appreciate that autograph much more because it represents more than just one actor's contribution to the mythos of Star Trek; it is a piece of the soul, the core that has been appreciated by so many all over the planet.

She died Dec. 18, 2008 at age 76.

Here is a link to her son's bio of her.