‘Star Trek’ Icon Leonard Nimoy Remembered by Son, NASA on His Birthday

Today would have been the 87th birthday of the late actor Leonard Nimoy, who passed away in 2015 due to complications brought on by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The man who played Spock may be gone, but he is not forgotten, as shown by his son, Adam Nimoy, and the space exploration organization NASA.

Adam Nimoy shared a heartfelt message about his father’s journey from Boston to the stars.

“From an immigrant neighborhood in Boston to the outer reaches of the galaxy,” Nimoy tweeted. “Quite the trajectory. Happy Birthday Dad. #LLAP”

The NASA History Office tweeted out a photo of Nimoy and borrowed a Spock quote from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan to remember the actor.

“Today we remember @StarTrek actor Leonard Nimoy, who has been, and always shall be, our friend, on his #Birthday,” NASA tweeted.

Nimoy himself was a Twitter user and his final tweet was both appropriate and a mindful meditation that has withstood the test of time:

“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP”

Nimoy played Spock in the original three season of Star Trek: The Original Series. He reprised his role in the six Star Trek movies to feature The Original Series’ cast, as well as for the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie and its sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness. He also appeared in the two-part Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Unification” and his voice is featured as Spock in Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek Online.

Nimoy’s role as Spock not only cemented his status as a giant of the Star Trek franchise but an icon of science fiction and of popular culture in general.