Eddie Paskey, best known for his portrayal of Lt. Leslie in Star Trek: The Original Series, passed away on Aug. 17 at the age of 81, just days before his 82nd birthday.

Born in 1939, Paskey made his television debut in 1965 by appearing on Ben Casey. He'd then go on to appear in such shows as Gomer Pyle: USMC, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mission: Impossible before being cast in Star Trek.

Paskey played several unnamed crewmen aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in early episodes of TOS before finally being given the name Mr. Leslie in Episode 14, "Balance of Terror." By Episode 17, "The Squire of Gothos," he was sporting lieutenant's insignia. Paskey is credited in 60 of the 79 episodes of TOS in total, which is more than such mainstays as George Takei's Lt. Sulu (52) and Walter Koenig's Chekov (36).

His final Star Trek appearance was in 2004's New Voyages episode "Come What May," where he played Lt. Leslie's father Admiral Leslie in the fan-made web series. However, this final role was a one-off for Paskey, who formally retired from acting after leaving TOS in Season 3 as a result of injuries that were made worse by the conditions on the set.

Source: Dayton Ward, via Daily Star Trek News