Who’s Still Alive From ‘Lassie’?

Lauren Novak April 15, 2:24 pm

LASSIE, Lassie, Jon Provost, Hugh Reilly, June Lockhart, 1954-1974 — Everett Collection

Has there ever been a better friend than Lassie, the canine title star of long-running TV series? While the cast of Lassie changed several times over the show’s 1954-1973 run, it remains one of the most beloved shows, especially for dog lovers. Lassie wasn’t just a story about a heroic dog who constantly saved her owner from danger, however; the character was based on a real dog in World War II, who inspired a short story, a novel, movies, a radio series, and finally, the television show.

The original version of the television series followed a farmer named Ellen Miller (Jan Clayton), her son Jeff Miller (Tommy Rettig) and her elderly father-in-law, George “Gramps” Miller (George Cleveland). When the stars wanted to leave the show in 1957, Jon Provost was cast as Timmy, while Cloris Leachman and Jon Shepodd were cast as his foster parents. However, most fans remember when June Lockhart and Hugh Reilly replaced Leachman and Shepodd as Timmy’s foster parents. With so many casting changes and so many years gone by, it begs the question: who is still alive from Lassie and what are they up to?

Jon Provost (75)

Timmy Martin

Everett Collection; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for TV Land

Provost played Timmy, Lassie’s most popular best friend. Born on March 12, 1950, he started acting when he was only two years old. While Provost mainly quit acting when he got older — his most recent role is in a 2013 film called Susie’s Hope —he looks back on his acting career fondly, and calls them the best home movies he could ever ask for. He has been married to his second wife Laurie Jacobson, with whom he has two children, since 1999. Jacobson is an author, so they often collaborate on projects together, such as Provost’s 2007 memoir, Timmy’s in the Well: The Jon Provost Story. He continues to attend conventions to pay tribute to his most famous role.

June Lockhart (99)

Ruth Martin

John R. Hamilton/TV Guide/Everett Collection; Araya Diaz/Getty Images

Lockhart may not have been Timmy’s original mother, but she is the one that most people remember best and prefer. Born on June 25, 1925, Lockhart also made her career debut as a child. After starring in Lassie, she went on to play Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Spaceas well as another doctor, Dr. Janet Craig, on Petticoat Junction; afterwards, she continued to work, guest starring in sitcoms and appearing as Maria on General Hospital.

In 2021, she voiced June, aka the Voice of Alpha Control in the Lost in Space reboot. She’s now 99 years old and enjoying a well-deserved retirement. She has been married twice and has two children, with her daughter Anne following in her footsteps with an acting career.

Now, let’s pay tribute to some of the stars that we lost too soon from Lassie.