Beam me up Spock

It was announced this evening that the actor Leonard Nimoy, best known as the alien from the planet Vulcan in the long running TV sci-fi series Star Trek and its numerous film spin-offs, passed away at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. The eighty three year old Nimoy – who was born in Boston, Massachusetts – died from complications arising from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, announced his second wife the actress Susan Bay. Though he will be best remembered for his acting roles – in particular for the character of the Starship Enterprise’s second in command – Nimoy was multi-talented working as amongst other things a film director, poet, photographer, singer and songwriter. His fellow Star Trek actor William Shatner – who played Enterprise commander Captain James T Kirk – paid tribute to his friend saying that, ‘I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humour, his talent, and his capacity to love’. Nimoy himself left a final message on Twitter earlier this week, summing up a life well lived before signing off with his legendary Vulcan salutation, live long and prosper. ‘A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP’.