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Star Trek's Scotty Dies at 85
darkworm writes "James Doohan, better known to Trekkies everywhere as Scotty, has died at the age of 85. James was suffering from both Parkinsons and Alzheimer's and died earlier today at his home"
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Beem him on up to the big NCC-1701 in the sky. You will be missed Mr. Doohan.
Rest In Peace Scotty. You will always be remembered.
It's either on the beat or off the beat, it's that easy.
I moderate therefore I rule!
--
Travel well, James.
we see things not as as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin
"Is the word given, sir?"
"Aye, laddie-- warp speed."
RIP, Scotty.
Scotty had to be one of the most beloved Star Trek characters of all time and Mr. Doohan really made the character. I only hope that someone somewhere will play Amazing Grace on the pipes for him as he did for Spock at the end of Star Trek II.
The link in the article summary isn't even to an obituary -- it describes an event honoring Doohan that occurred a year ago. A new low for Slashdot. Thanks for providing a good link.
... Of all the characters in Star Trek.... He.. was the most... human.
(Thanks for teaching me how to keep my reputation as a miracle worker. I'll be enjoyin' a wee dram in your honor tonight, James.)
Just as Agnes Moorehead didn't want to be remembered only as "the witch", I think it's kind of insulting to James Doohan just to encapsulate remberences of him solely as his most well-known character. Can anyone out there comment on his other roles? (e.g. Star Commander of Jason?) his military service? or his long, long life?
We all know he had a fun, fake Scottish accent and was unparalleled in delivering technobabble in just the right doses for a good episode of Trek, but I'd love to hear the stories of this man that aren't penned by Rodenberry or copyrighted by Viacom.
Anyone have any?
The Space Shuttle is obviously waiting for his ashes... That would be fitting. (Depending on the families wishes of course)
"We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." - Aneurin Bevan
But the real value that James Doohan brought to his role, and that I value from his life was his enthusiasm. The positiveness he brought to his role came from the heart. He embodied and lived the "Can Do" attitude. Hopefully it was every bit as infectious as the rest of Star Trek and we will all remember that we too 'can do!'
"Can there be a Klein bottle that is an efficient and effective beer pitcher?"
Bad quote in that CNN article. All the real trekkies (trekkers? whatever.) know that the exact phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" never happened in any TOS script.
May you rest in peace, Mr. Doohan.
I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
..one guy makes this comment at 12:39 and gets a "Score: 5, Funny", and another guy posts the same comment at 12:40 (with only 1 comment posted between them, if you look at the cid) and gets a "Score: 0, Redundant".
--- What
So is Bones.
And it looks like the guy in the red shirt does always die, even if it's Scotty.
Haec merda tauri est. Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
A great actor who will be missed by all. So sad that such an extrodinary human suffered the indignity of dying through Alzheimers.
I recommend all Slashdotters honour his memory by donating to the Alzheimer's Association so we can find a cure for this disease.
And how do you know that the child won't receive appropriate care?
The Undiscovered Country
from whose bourn no traveller returns
-- William Shakespeare
So what? It was clearly a loving, successful marriage, what does the age difference matter for?
You or I may not be comfortable having a relationship with such an age difference, but they clearly were and it obviously worked for them -- what's the problem?
Those are the kind of people, though, who I think do make the best actors - it is when you have seen it all and done a lot that you can better act in something which we may never see or experience - being an engineer on a star cruiser. But it is rare to find actors today *cough*Shatner*cough* who are upright and unassuming. Even though he has not been able to act in a while, he, and other actors like him, will be sorely missed.
I've never known my father; he's never seen me, although he's probably still alive, and he knows I exist. For all practical intents and purposes, he died before I was born.
When my mother told my father that she was pregnant, he gave her some money and told her to get an abortion. She gave the money back, and told him to go to hell. They never spoke after that.
Like me, Sarah Doohan will grow up without a father - but at least she had the opportunity to know him for a few years first. As you say, I'm sure she's glad to be here, even if her father isn't.
In memoriam James Doohan. The longest surviving "Red Shirt" on the USS Enterprise, his "Scotty" set the standard for generations of geeks and engineers. Working with the latest future technologies, often experimental, under a demanding boss for whom FTL travel, teleporters, galactic communications and more firepower than all of 20th Century Earth combined weren't enough to cakewalk through missions on any given week, Scotty's role model has influenced millions of 20th Century predecessors. His ingenuity, fortitude, and sense of humor while telling the boss that his demands are insane, but doable, even under excruciating time pressure floating around a newly discovered dimension, are an inspiration to us all. Mr. Doohan, in your new journey, go as boldly as you led us in all your merely astral journeys on our televisions, and in our imaginations.
--
make install -not war
What makes you think they planned on the child? From other comments, it sounds like mom could've been old enough for him/her to be unexpected. Regardless your feelings on abortion, would you suggest that they abort rather than raise a miracle baby just because there's a chance dad might not be around much longer?
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
"not that I'm saying his child won't be brought up properly"
Yes you are. Just because you phrase your POV as a question doesn't mean you're not "push polling" your implied answer.
You might not be able to imagine someone with a single parent being "brought up right". But there are many millions of Americans, and hundreds of millions of humans, who are just fine with one parent. The metaphysical question of whether they're better off not being born is anyone's guess. And has to compete with the wonder of an actual life, with a loving parent, as the legacy of a departed one.
--
make install -not war
"Probably, but that doesn't do any good now does it?"
Yes it does. The child will be cared for by people who knew him well.
"Yes, and someone needs to do it."
Why don't you send a note to his widow and explain it to her?
"Accepting differences doesn't extend as far as accepting people who don't bring up their children properly"
It's not for you to decide which methods are proper. Not only are you being arrogant, you're being plain rude by criticizing the recently departed.
I was born in the early 50's, and quite an impressionable teen during the Moon missions and Star Trek TOS.
Damn, those 60's were interesting times. I loved the thrill of technological stuff. The very first transistors. I was so excited over getting some Raytheon CK722 and GE 2N107 Germanium PNP. They were first barely making their way to where I could get some with the pay I could get mowing lawns.
I couldn't get enough of the thrill with tinkering with electronics, rewiring old TV sets so I could display crude lissajous patterns on the screens and that kinda stuff, dreaming of the things I would see Scotty and Spock do with their stuff. Scotty's transporter and the food replicator fascinated the hell out of me. I wanted in the worst way just to talk to Scotty a bit about how that damn thing worked!!!!
James made the world of Physics and Engineering a very interesting place for a lot of us. In all the years of my life, I have never seen yet anyone who could do it with the aplomb James could. In my mind, he is *the* engineer.
Without you, James, physics and engineering would have been about as interesting to me as studying IP law, and I would have gotten it only for the money, not for thrill of doing it. You brought a thrill of accomplishment to a mundane world of physical laws.
Thanks, James. May you enjoy Eternity with God, and get to see for real the things the things we could only imagine here on Earth.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
I mentioned this a few months or so ago in the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" thread, but it bears repeating:
Quite a few years back, I attended a convention with a couple of friends, all of us in college at the time. I have no other Star Trek convention experience to compare it to, but I found him to be a great speaker, funny, intelligent, and not in the least condescending as a celebrity all too often can be in public. He was also very straightforward, as a Shatner comment or two demonstrated.
After the speech and the Q&A session, he went outside to sit at a table and sign autographs. The line was HUGE. I can't remember why, but my friends and I ended up at the very end of the line. I don't go in for autographs, so maybe I held them up. Anyway, I wait with them, passing quite a bit of time, as Doohan signs autographs, makes small talk, answers questions, hears the same lines and jokes over and over again, etc. Finally, the last people in line (us) make it to the table. I would have expected any celebrity making an appearance to be happy it was over with, sign something for us and break for the door. Hell, _I_ would have. Mr. Doohan instead greets us VERY warmly, makes a big deal about how much of a pain it must have been to stand in line all that time. Maybe I'm jaded, but I honestly never really expected a tv and movie star to sincerely appreciate his fans. He then tells my friend with the camera to not be silly standing there taking pictures, has us come around the table with him and has someone else take our cameras and take pictures of us with him.
Far too rare of a man. If I remember correctly, his star on the Walk of Fame wasn't bought by himself or his agent as a matter of self-promotion, but by his friends and colleagues of many years who wanted him to get the recognition he deserved. I can't judge anyone's acting talent (ok, maybe SOME people), but acting is what you do, not what you are. And James Doohan was a great human being.
Ignorance is the root of all evil.