“Lost in Space” and “General Hospital” Actor Mark Goddard Dead at 87

"I’ll never know how I deserved to spend 33 years with such a loving, gentle, handsome man who made me laugh so often," his wife wrote in a statement confirming his death

Mark Goddard, best known for his roles in Lost in Space and General Hospital, has died. He was 87.

In a statement shared to Facebook page, Goddard's wife Evelyn Pezzulich revealed that the actor had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and died Tuesday in Hingham, Massachusetts while under hospice care.

"I’m so sorry to tell you that my wonderful husband passed away on October 10th,” she began. “Several days after celebrating his 87th birthday [on July 24], he was hospitalized with pneumonia. 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."

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"He received excellent care at the beautiful Pat Roche Hospice Home and was able to die peacefully and with dignity,” Pezzulich continued. “His children and I had the chance to express our love and say our goodbyes. I’ll never know how I deserved to spend 33 years with such a loving, gentle, handsome man who made me laugh so often."

In the comments section, Goddard’s Lost in Space costar, Billy Mumy, recalled his final interaction with the late actor and their touching last words.

"R.I.P. to Mark Goddard,” he 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.'"

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“Mark was a truly fine actor. Naturally gifted as well as trained. I know he sometimes felt constricted by the campy frame that 'LIS' [Lost in Space] constrained him within, but he also embraced and loved it,” he continued.

Goddard became a household name with his iconic role as Major Don West in the intergalactic show. The series, which aired from 1965 to 1968, followed the fantastic adventures of the Robinson family, space colonists aboard the Jupiter 2 piloted by Goddard’s character.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Goddard recalled seeing himself in his silver lamé spacesuit for the first time in his 2008 memoir To Space and Back, writing: "I took a deep breath, took a second look at the image of a wrapped-aluminum baked potato and said to myself, ‘How the hell did this happen?'"

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In a 1998 feature adaptation of the series, Major Don West was portrayed by Matt LeBlanc and later taken on by Ignacio Serricchio in Netflix’s 2018 reboot.

Following his time on Lost in Space, Goddard also appeared on General Hospital as Derek Barrington over the span of 11 episodes from 1985 to 1986.

Other credits of his include One Life to Live, The Doctors, The Detectives, Johnny Ringo and Blue Detective, according to his IMDb page.

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Besides his wife, Evelyn, Goddard is survived by his producer daughter, Melissa Goddard.

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