In Memory of Leonard Nimoy

In February 2014, Nimoy revealed that he had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition he attributed to a smoking habit he had given up approximately 30 years prior. On February 19, 2015, Nimoy was taken to UCLA Medical Center for chest pain and had been in and out of hospitals for the "past several months."

Nimoy died on February 27, 2015 at the age of 83 in his Bel Air home from complications of COPD. A few days before his death, Nimoy shared some of his poetry on social media website Twitter: "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP".

On Twitter, William Shatner wrote of Nimoy, "I loved him like a brother. ... We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love." George Takei stated, "The word extraordinary is often overused, but I think it's really appropriate for Leonard. He was an extraordinarily talented man, but he was also a very decent human being." Walter Koenig said he knew the Spock character better than he did Nimoy at first. "When I finally did get to know the man better I discovered his compassion, his intelligence and his humanity. All of which laid the foundation for his keen sense of philanthropy." Nichelle Nichols wrote, "Leonard’s integrity and passion as an actor and devotion to his craft helped transport Star Trek into television history."