June Lockhart, actor known for “Lassie” and “Lost in Space,” dies at 100

June Lockhartactress, best known for her role as the matriarch in the TV seriesLassie” died, a family spokesman confirmed to CBS News. She was 100 years old.

Lockhart died of natural causes at home in Santa Monica, California, with her daughter June Elizabeth and granddaughter Christianna by her side, her representative said in a statement Saturday.

Her family said in a statement: “We will miss this truly remarkable woman, mother and grandmother.”

Lockhart was born on June 25, 1925, in New York City, the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Gene Lockhart and actress Kathleen Lockhart. She made her professional debut at age 8, playing Mimsy in Peter Ibbetson's production at the Metropolitan Opera. She later made her screen debut in the MGM version of A Christmas Carol, playing the daughter of her real-life parents in the film.

Lockhart then played an ingénue in the Broadway comedy For Love or Money opposite John Loder, winning the Tony Award for Best Newcomer in 1947. She became the first recipient of this award, which is no longer a category. Her award was later given to the Smithsonian Institution in 2008.

The actress became a household name for the American public when she starred as Ruth Martin, the mother, in the popular television show Lassie, starring the beloved long-haired collie, which aired from 1954 to 1974.

Lockhart recaptured television audiences as Maureen Robinson, the matriarch in Lost in Space, a series about a family trying to survive on a space colony. It ran from 1965 to 1968.

Lockhart became a spokesman for NASA, attending many NASA launches and landings over the decades. Her daughter said her mother “really loved playing her role” in Lost in Space and she was happy to know that she “inspired many future astronauts.”