Deforest Kelley (1999) and Jimmy Doohan (2005) are the only major members of the original cast to pass.
We know the others will eventually join them but pray that shall not be hurried.
Interestingly, Jeff Hunter who played Christopher Pike in the Star Trek pilot died at age 42 :(
Kelly and Doohan were both born in 1920, which makes them more than a decade older than the others.
Hunter would have got the second pilot but was under contract for a movie so they went with Shatner.
Guess she's not that major.
Jeff Hunter might have taken on the Pike Role, but his wife thought he was "too big" for TV, and convinced him to keep making movies.
Wonder if Star Trek would have the same following if Hunter was the captain instead of Shatner.
Hunter could obviously play complex characters, and showed a lot of range. Probably more than Shatner.
But would it have been as fun?