Star Trek Iconic Actor Leonard Nimoy Dies

Even though he had a distinguished career as an actor, director, writer, poet and photographer outside of the world of Star Trek, he will always be known by most people as the half-human, half-Vulcan, Mr. Spock.

Leonard Nimoy has died in Los Angeles at the age of 83 due to complications from end-stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease or COPD. He had been hospitalized earlier this week for treatment of the lung disease. He had tweeted last month about his struggles with COPD even though he had quit smoking 30 years ago. He is survived by his wife actress Susan Bay, his son Adam, daughter Julie and several grandchildren.

• Volunteers of America Has Opening for Direct Staff

How many people remember he also starred on two seasons of Mission Impossible as magician and master-of-disguise, Paris? He had multiple Emmy nominations, including one from the television film Golda, where he starred as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's husband. He also served as the narrator on the series In Search Of. . ., which investigated paranormal phenomena and unexplained events.

Nimoy was also an army veteran, an accomplished Broadway veteran and stage actor appearing in roles as diverse as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire to Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof.

He never wanted for voice work either, as his incredibly rich voice was always in high demand. In the 1970s he served as the narrator on the series In Search Of. . ., which investigated paranormal phenomena and unexplained events long before they became subject material for reality shows. In the 90s he narrated A&E Networks Ancient Mysteries.

More recently he starred on one of my favorite shows Fringe on Fox Network as mad scientist and genius Professor William Bell. He also has had a strong presence on the comedy Big Bang Theory mostly in conversation between the scientist characters, but in a 2012 episode he did voice the character Spock.

He wrote several books of poetry, his photography has been shown in museums and art galleries and he recorded five albums! To say Leonard Nimoy was an accomplished person in many artistic fields is an understatement, but- - you could truly say, as his beloved character Spock did quite often, that he indeed "lived long and prospered"!