First, it was Leonard Nimoy.  Now comes word that Grace Lee Whitney has passed.  That’s two this year, and not that far apart…here’s hoping there won’t be a third:

Grace Lee Whitney, Yeoman Rand on ‘Star Trek,’ dead at 85

Grace Lee Whitney, who played Yeoman Janice Rand in the original “Star Trek” series and a handful of movies based on the series, died Friday at her home in Coarsegold, California. She was 85.

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On the official “Star Trek” website, startrek.com, Whitney was described as “one of ‘Star Trek’s’ greatest cautionary tales and also one of the franchise’s most satisfying renaissance stories.” She was written out of the show in its first season and struggled with alcohol and drug problems before finding recovery, reprising the Rand role in the “Star Trek” films and devoting her life to helping others.