What happens when an actress who played make-believe among the stars helps real astronauts reach them?
In this special tribute episode of Horror Heals, Corey honors the life and legacy of June Lockhart, who passed away at 100 after a century spent balancing the light of Hollywood with the wonder of the cosmos.
For most of us, June will always be the fearless matriarch who kept her family safe aboard the Jupiter 2 in Lost in Space, or the comforting mother who taught generations of kids kindness through Lassie. But her reach extended far beyond television screens and soundstages.
In 2013, NASA awarded June the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for her decades of advocacy and inspiration. Her fascination with space was not an act, it was part of who she was. She spoke with astronauts, attended launches, and became a true ambassador for curiosity itself.
June also made her mark in the worlds that inspire this show: science fiction and horror. She brought heart and humor to the cult favorite Troll (1986), blended domestic warmth with cosmic dread in Lost in Space, and carried the poise of old Hollywood into the age of aliens, monsters, and magic. She proved that even in the strangest worlds, empathy matters most.
Corey shares his family’s personal connection to Meet Me in St. Louis, a Lockhart classic that his grandparents introduced to him and his siblings on SelectaVision, and reflects on how June’s artistry linked generations through story and imagination.
June Lockhart’s story reminds us that horror and science fiction are never only about fear, they are about possibility. She showed that the same spark that lights a campfire ghost story can also ignite a rocket.
Her legacy is proof that curiosity can be sacred, that kindness can exist in the face of the unknown, and that our best stories, the dark ones, the cosmic ones, and the human ones, are all connected.
Join Horror Heals for a heartfelt journey through the life of June Lockhart, the actress who helped us face the void, love the strange, and look to the stars.
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You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
