Majel Roddenberry Passes

Majel Barrett Roddenberry, widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, died yesterday of leukemia at 76.

She will forever be linked to the creation of her husband, which has become a staple of pop culture over four decades. She was cast as the first officer of the Enterprise in the original pilot, but television executives at the time thought a woman in a command position was too far-fetched. They picked a Vulcan instead. Majel was Nurse Chapel in the original series, Counsellor Troi's outrageous mother in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and often was the voice of the ship's computer.

Indeed, her final role was as the voice of the computer in J. J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie. She finished work on that project two weeks ago.