News just arrived of the passing of the actor Leonard Nimoy (Photo ©Kelly Walker). He’d been suffering for some time from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a chronic disease that restricts the flow of air into the lungs. In this case, the disease had reached its final stage and a few days ago Nimoy was rushed to the hospital for severe chest pains.

I already wrote an article about Leonard Nimoy to celebrate his 80th birthday; you can find information about his life in it. Although he had decided to retire from acting, he was persuaded to reprise the role of Spock in the Star Trek reboot movies and keep playing William Bell in the television series “Fringe”.

In recent years, Leonard Nimoy mostly offered voice performances, also in an episode of “The Big Bang Theory”, whose protagonists are Star Trek fans. Sheldon Cooper and his friends will be very sad and we can expect some tribute to their idol.

About a year ago, Leonard Nimoy was photographed while he was in a wheelchair and was using an oxygen mask. The actor revealed that he had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, attributing it to the fact that he’d been a smoker. He had quit smoking many years ago but the long-term damage was already made.

The news of the death of Leonard Nimoy sparked an incredible amount of reactions on the Internet. The net hasn’t been a meeting place for nerds for a long time yet the presence of Star Trek fans on social media is still huge. The condolences expressed by the fans, from ordinary people to astronauts, show how much he was loved and how many people he inspired.

Leonard Nimoy had a contrasting relationship with the character of Spock and the Star Trek saga. However, if this character has become so iconic and has contributed so much to the saga’s success, it is also thanks to him. Nimoy added a lot in playing Spock’s alien eye and for this, we’ll be eternally grateful.