Very sad to hear this news. I'd come to think of Jonathan Harris as indestructible after seeing him in action at a couple of autograph shows 7 or 8 years ago. He had the most unflappable energy. Magnificent. The voice was still very much there; the way he told his stories was dramatic and beautifully paced, but to the untrained eye, not "practiced" or seeming rehearsed at all. His dark eyes twinkling with wit and sometimes, delightful malice as he retailed some tidbit or let fly a choice four letter word, invariably coming like a spicy amuse-gueule at the end of some impossibly fruity, flamboyant phrase. After spending half an hour or so listening to his stories, one had no doubt that he put a hell of a lot of himself into the notorious Zachary Smith.
I'd always assumed that dear Jonathan was in my "family" so was quite surprised when I learned he was married and has a son, I believe, living somewhere. Of course, in the bad old days, everyone got married, and Jonathan would sometimes lob wicked innuendoes in the direction of a wide eyed sweet young thing (who often turned out to be not so sweet) to make sure everyone stayed on their toes.
As I've told several friends, one of my favorite memories is of Jonathan at a 1995 Boston Lost in Space cast appearance. A break was ending in the autograph signing and they needed all the celebrities there so the signing could start again. June Lockhart was missing. Jonathan grabbed the mike and uttered these words, which rolled with exquisite and mellifluous modulation around whatever sports center/shopping mall it was where the show was happening in suburban Boston: "June Lockhart wanted to the podium instanta! Now get your ass up here, honey, pronto!"
I'm not sure she ever forgave him for that.
Gothick
