Story perspectives

Patrick Stewart Dies at 86, First Next Gen Cast Member

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

Read the story

Story summary

Summary

Patrick Stewart died in Los Angeles on October 28, 2026, at age 86.
His death followed an illness with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to his family.
Walter Koenig died in North Hollywood on October 25, 2026, at age 90, surrounded by his daughter and niece.
Stewart was the first Star Trek: The Next Generation main cast member to die.
Koenig was one of the last three living Original Series actors, with Shatner and Takei still alive.

Summary

Fans renamed the first Space Shuttle Enterprise after a letter campaign inspired by the series’ starship.
Handheld communicators from the series helped inspire early flip-phone designs.
Walter Koenig received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2012, the last original-series principal honored.
He voiced Federation President Anton Chekov in the 2023 Star Trek: Picard series finale.

Summary

Walter Koenig won the Platinum Award for Best Actor at the 2026 Independent Shorts Awards for “Mr. Fleischmann.”
He was a humanitarian activist who championed human-rights causes and assisted refugees.
His son, actor Andrew Koenig, died by suicide in 2010.
Koenig described his Babylon 5 role as Alfred Bester as the “Act II” of his television career.

1 of 3

Stewart, Koenig Die

Patrick Stewart died in Los Angeles on October 28, 2026, at age 86.
His death followed an illness with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to his family.
Walter Koenig died in North Hollywood on October 25, 2026, at age 90, surrounded by his daughter and niece.
Stewart was the first Star Trek: The Next Generation main cast member to die.
Koenig was one of the last three living Original Series actors, with Shatner and Takei still alive.

1 / 3