Solemn, quick-minded, and ever graceful as the first officer of the Starship Enterprise, Leonard Nimoy shocked fans and the world alike when he passed in his L.A. home on February 27th. Born in a Jewish home in Boston in 1931, he became perhaps the most iconic character of cultural hegemony, Mr. Spock of Star Trek. Although Nimoy often struggled between enjoying and resenting his tether to Spock, he finalized his stance with his book I Am Spock.
None of his roles could compare to the popularity of his Spock, and while many only remember him as that logical half human, half Vulcan alien, Nimoy invested his time into causes he believed in, ones that will remember him for even more than his pointy ears and matter-of-fact tone.
Like lots of kids from my generation, my first encounter with Spock was in the new remakes of the movies, where Nimoy reprised his role alongside a younger Spock, Zachary Quinto, as tribute to the series’ longevity and symbolism for how the older and wiser help the new generation carve out their own paths.
Star Trek is often remembered as a space show that tackled the social issues of the 1960s, and Nimoy continued that legacy—besides being an actor, poet, photographer, and musician, he was an outspoken feminist. He fought for the equal pay of Star Trek actresses as it aired, and later on created The Full Body Project, where women outside the restrictions of the “ideal female body” are photographed and showcased in response to overwhelmingly negative portrayals in popular media. He was well-versed and witty, claiming that even years later he caught himself acting just like his extremely logical, emotion-suppressing character. His split-fingered Vulcan salute is no better embodied than by Leonard Nimoy’s own legacy; he will continue to inspire curiosity, exploration, the pursuit of knowledge, and a thirst for a life as long and prosperous as the one he left behind.
“A life is not a garden,” reads his February 22 tweet, which would later become the last he ever made. “Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.” His memory is preserved in the fans he left behind—and may he boldly go.