june lockhart biography

June Lockhart

June Lockhart Biography

Early Life

June Kathleen Lockhart was born on June 25, 1925, in New York City. She was the daughter of actors Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart. From a young age, she was surrounded by the world of performance and made her stage debut at the age of eight in a production at the Metropolitan Opera. Her family later moved to California in the mid-1930s when her father began working in Hollywood.

Career Beginnings

June made her film debut in 1938 in the MGM version of A Christmas Carol, acting alongside her parents. During the 1940s, she appeared in several classic films including Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and The Yearling (1946), which helped establish her as a talented young actress in Hollywood.

Stage and Television Breakthrough

In 1947, she appeared on Broadway in For Love or Money, earning a Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer. Her television breakthrough came in 1958 when she was cast as Ruth Martin in the beloved family series Lassie. The show made her a familiar and respected face in American households.

Later, she became known for her role as Maureen Robinson, the matriarch in the science fiction series Lost in Space (1965–1968). Her portrayal of a strong and caring mother solidified her status as one of television’s most iconic maternal figures.

Later Career and Recognition

Over the following decades, June continued to appear in television series, films, and stage productions. Her long career earned her two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — one for motion pictures and one for television.

In 2013, she was honored by NASA with the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring generations through her portrayal of futuristic and family-oriented roles that encouraged interest in space exploration.

Personal Life

June Lockhart was married twice. Her first marriage was to Dr. John Francis Maloney from 1951 to 1959, and they had two daughters together. She later married architect John Carl Lindsay in 1959, but the couple divorced in 1970. Her daughter Anne Lockhart followed in her footsteps and became an actress.

Death

June Lockhart passed away on October 23, 2025, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 100. She is remembered as a talented actress, a television pioneer, and an inspiring figure whose work continues to influence audiences and entertainers around the world.