TV Star Mark Goddard Dead at 87

Man, they are just dropping like flies right now.

Yet another star from the days of our youth has died.

Mark Goddard, best known as Major Don West in “Lost in Space,” has passed away at the age of 87.

Another Star Gone

Goddard’s son, John, confirmed his death, stating that his father had died from pulmonary fibrosis in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Goddard got his first professional credit in 1959 as well as landing his first recurring role on “Johnny Ringo” as Cully.

After that gig, he landed some single-episode roles on a variety of shows before landing the recurring role of Sgt. Chris Ballard on “The Detectives.”

He more or less bounced around, landing only one more recurring role before playing Major Don West in “Lost in Space” in 1965.

That would be his big claim to fame as well as a brief stint on “General Hospital,” as Derek Barrington.

Fittingly, his last credited role was “Lost in Space: The Epilogue” in 2015.

Bill Mumy, who played Will Robinson in “Lost in Space” paid tribute to Goddard on Facebook.

He posted, “I hate writing this.

“R.I.P. to Mark Goddard.  A truly beloved friend and brother to me for 59 years.  I knew this was coming for the past few months.  Shortly after a great phone chat he and I had on his 87th birthday in late July, I became aware that I would most likely never see or speak with him again.

“The last words we exchanged were ‘I love you.’”

He went on to detail how their friendship was formed and flourished over the years as well as some of Goddard’s talents and loves.

He concluded, “There's a part of me that envisions him having a martini in Heaven right now with Jonathan Harris, Kevin Burns, Guy Williams, and other comrades who left this world of woe before him. There's a part of me that believes he's in a better place now. A much better place.

“But I still hate writing this.”

As we get older, people die, but it is just that as of late, it has been all childhood TV shows that we probably all remember gathering around the TV with family or friends to enjoy every week, then doing the same when the reruns come on.

I guess we are just at that age…

Rest in peace, Mark, and thanks for the memories.