Mark Goddard, star of classic TV series such as the iconic sci-fi show Lost in Space, has died. He was 87. Goddard passed away on Tuesday after being hospitalized with pneumonia, according to a Facebook status shared by Evelyn Pezzluich, his wife. The update was posted by an account named “LOST IN SPACE Remastered Blu-ray Disc Edition.”

“I’m so sorry to tell you that my wonderful husband passed away on October 10th. Several days after celebrating his 87th birthday, he was hospitalized with pneumonia,” Pezzluich’ wrote. “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.” Billy Mumy, Mark Goddard’s Lost in Space co-star, commented under the post, recounting his last conversation with his old friend.

“R.I.P. to Mark Goddard,” Mummy wrote. “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.’”

Mark Goddard’s credits extend far beyond ‘Lost in Space’

Goddard, originally named Charles Harvey Goddard, was born on July 24th in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1959, he made the move to Hollywood. Just three weeks later, he secured a role in the CBS series Johnny Ringo. He next starred in the CBS anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson. He later took on acting jobs in ABC’s To See the Elephant and The Detectives, which aired on both ABC and NBC.

Mark Goddard achieved next-level fame through his iconic portrayal of Major Don West in Lost in Space. Spanning from 1965 to 1968, the show chronicled the extraordinary escapades of the Robinson family, space colonists aboard the Jupiter 2 spacecraft, helmed by Goddard’s character.

Friends star Matt LeBlanc played Goddard’s character in 1998’s big-screen version of Lost in Space. Meanwhile, Ignacio Serricchio played the part in Netflix’s 2018 reboot.

After Lost in Space, Goddard made notable appearances in popular shows such as The Fugitive, The Mod Squad, and The Fall Guy. He also had a recurring part in General Hospital as Derek Barrington from 1985 to 1986. Decades after attending college, Goddard went back to school and attained his master’s degree. From 1991 to 2009, he held the positions of special education and acting teacher at the F.L. Chamberlain School in Middleboro, Massachusetts. Following this, he published his autobiographical memoir titled To Space and Back.