Grace Lee Whitney dies, the actress who played as Yeoman Janice Rand, Captain Kirk's assistant in the original Star Trek series. It is surely a sad year after Grace Lee Whitney dies following Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett. The depressing news was confirmed by her son, Jonathan Dweck on Sunday.
Grace Lee Whitney dies of natural causes at the age of 85. She passed away at her home in Coarsegold, California on Friday, May 1, according to Syracuse report.
According to his son, Dweck, now that Grace Lee Whitney dies, he knows that his mother always want to be remembered as a victorious alcoholic survivor wherein the last 35 years of her life was dedicated in assisting people, who are struggling with their addiction.
Grace Lee Whitney became dependent with alcohols after she was removed from the cast of the original Star Trek series. She played in eight first-season episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Her admission of being addicted to alcohol and marijuana came after she wrote her 1998 autobiography, "The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy." It is where she exposed that she almost lost her career and became alcoholic.
However, it was Leonard Nimoy, who helped her reprise her role in the Star Trek movie franchise, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," the USA Today reported.
While helping people at the Salvation Army and women's correctional facilities, she also encouraged people to complete their 12-step addiction programs.
"Over time, she became appreciative of her short time on Star Trek because she developed meaningful relationships with the fans, Leonard Nimoy and other cast members," Dweck relayed.
Grace Lee Whitney born April 1, 1930 was a professional singer before she became popular as an actress. She was best recognized for her role in the original Star Trek series (1966) and was the oldest member of the series living after James Doohan died in 2005.
At the height of her acting career, Grace Lee Whitney appeared in three series including "George Takei: Star Trek" (1966), "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995) and "Diagnosis Murder" (1993).
When Grace Lee Whitney dies, her "Star Trek" co-star William Shatner, was the first to express his tribute about Whitney on his Twitter.
Condolences to the family of Grace. She was a constant shining smile over the years every time our paths crossed.
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) May 4, 2015
Grace Lee Whitney dies, but she will always be remembered by those close to her heart. She was survived by her two sons with ex-husband Sydney Stevan Dweck, Scott Dweck and Jonathan Dweck.
