LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Mark Goddard, one of the stars of the 1960s' CBS series "Lost in Space," has died at the age of 87, it was revealed Friday.
Goddard, who played Major Don West on the popular sci-fi series, died Tuesday in Hingham, Massachusetts from pulmonary fibrosis, his wife, Evelyn Pezzulich, announced on Facebook.
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"I'm so sorry to tell you that my wonderful husband passed away on October 10th," Pezzulich wrote. "Several days after celebrating his 87th birthday, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. We were hopeful when he was transferred to a rehabilitation center, but then doctors discovered he was in the final stages of pulmonary fibrosis for which there is no cure."
Goddard was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on July 24, 1936, and grew up in the state's coastal town of Scituate, where his father owned a general store. He attended Holy Cross, in Worcester, after high school and transferred in 1958 to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
He relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1950s and quickly won TV roles, most notably appearing as a deputy in the Western show "Johnny Ringo," which aired on CBS. He also played Detective Sgt. Chris Ballard in "The Detectives," a crime drama series that starred Robert Taylor and aired on ABC, then NBC.
Goddard eventually landed the role of the hot-tempered pilot Major Don West on "Lost in Space," which aired from 1965 to 1968, and followed the adventures of the Robinson family -- space colonists aboard the Jupiter 2, piloted by Goddard's character.
Goddard went on to make guest appearances on various programs over the years, including "Perry Mason," "The Mod Squad," "Barnaby Jones" and "General Hospital."
He also featured in the 1976 cult film "Blue Sunshine." In 1978, he starred with Liza Minnelli on Broadway in the musical "The Act."
Goddard made a cameo in the 1998 feature version of ``Lost in Space," where he played a superior officer of his signature character, played by Matt LeBlanc.
In terms of offspring, Goddard is survived by his daughter, Melissa, and sons John and Michael.
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