Windom Passes
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Emmy Award-winning actor William Windom, best-known to Trek fans for his role of Commodore Decker in the original series episode The Doomsday Machine, has died at his home in Woodacre, California at the age of eighty-eight.
The cause of death was congestive heart failure.
Windom won his Emmy in 1970 for his work in My World and Welcome to It, a comedy based on the work of James Thurber.
Science fiction fans knew Windom from roles in The Twilight Zone (Five Characters in Search of an Exit, Miniature), Escape From the Planet of the Apes, and Star Trek.
The versatile actor also appeared on many television shows as a guest star, including shows such as The Rookies, Ben Casey, The Donna Reed Show, Combat, The Wild Wild West, Bonanza, Marcus Welby M.D., The F.B.I, Mission Impossible and more.
Windom was a regular on The Farmer’s Daughter and Murder, She Wrote.
Although appearing on dozens of television shows, Windom’s favorite role actually came from a stage performance. “A lot of people today think the first thing they saw is the first thing that ever happened, and that means Star Trek or Murder, She Wrote,” he said, “But the thing I’m most proud of is playing Richard III in Biarritz.”
Married five times, Windom is survived by Patricia, his wife of thirty-seven years, four children and four grandchildren.
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I was so impressed with the way he delivered his line “The third planet.” It conveyed his anguish palpably.