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r the years I have kept the readers of this website apprised of my ongoing quest to assemble autographs/photos with the main cast of the original Star Trek series. Not too terribly much be said about that as I’ve said it all before. The last update was back in 2012 when I was able to get a photo op with William Shatner, as can be seen here. You’ll note if you look at it, I ended it with the wish that I might finally get the chance to meet Nichelle Nichols, which would effectively put this particular quest to a close. Sadly James Doohan and DeForrest Kelly both passed away before I ever got the chance to meet them. And in days since that posting, Leonard Nimoy passed away in February of 2015 as well. I was much, much luckier with him.
From the day I write about my wish until just before August 8, 2015, I really wasn’t too sure if meeting Nichelle Nichols would be in the cards or not. Then when news hit that she had been rushed to the hospital with a stroke in June of 2015, I really doubted my chances even further.
But thankfully she made a quick recovery, and miraculously she was suddenly scheduled to attend the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh on August 8, 2015, just a couple of months after the stroke, I bought tickets to the event immediately. Still part of me thought that with the health scares there was still that looming chance that it wouldn’t happen.
Well this is probably anticlimactic since you’ve already seen the photo at the top of the posting, but yes, it did happen. And so now I bring my Star Trek main cast story to a close. She was a bit pricey at $60 for an autograph and photo op combo (or $40 for each), but of course this one was an absolute must.
I told her that I had waited a long time to see her and was so glad she made it to the show. I also mentioned a mutual acquaintance we had, who is a member of the Sons of the Desert. Why I mentioned this, I have no idea, as it certainly didn’t save me any money.
It felt good to get this one under my belt, although sometimes it’s more fun to keep a quest going. But now I can move boldly into other areas, and at some point, I might even actually sit down and watch the Star Trek series.
Live long and prosper…
Celebrity encounters form the Summer 2015 Steel City Con will continue…
Nichelle Nichols is an absolute sweetheart! I, finally, had the opportunity to meet her and George Takei in Dallas, TX, in June 2016. It seems we have both ended our quests to meet the original Star Trek cast.
Dave Chasteen
February 9th, 2017