Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original “Star Trek” series, died of cardiopulmonary arrest, according to his death certificate, first obtained by TMZ. The condition is also known as sudden cardiac arrest.
The certificate lists chronic diastolic congestive heart failure as an underlying cause of death, with acute renal failure recorded as a significant contributing condition. Koenig was 90 when he died Sunday.
He was cremated Oct. 30. The document lists Hollywood Forever Cemetery as his place of final disposition, the same cemetery where his son Andrew was laid to rest after Andrew died by suicide in 2010 at age 41.
Koenig’s death was announced Monday by his agency in a statement posted to Facebook. The statement said he died of “old age at home in North Hollywood,” with his daughter, Danielle, and a niece by his side.
Koenig joined “Star Trek” in Season 2 and reprised the role of Chekov in seven “Star Trek” films over the following decades.
“Walter’s legacy extends far beyond the screen,” his agency’s statement read. “Through countless convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his kindness, wit, and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet him.”
“He understood what ‘Star Trek’ meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it,” the statement continued.
Shatner and Takei pay tribute
William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk, and George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, are the only two surviving cast members from the original “Star Trek” series. Both honored Koenig publicly.
Shatner said he and Koenig “did not know each other well away from the set,” but wrote that he saw someone who “genuinely loved the ‘Star Trek’ community.”
“At conventions, Walter was rarely content to remain behind a signing table. He preferred to be among the people who had kept ‘Star Trek’ alive for so many decades. That kind of genuine connection is rare, and it will be remembered by everyone who came into contact with him.”
Takei noted that he and his husband, Brad, shared their wedding anniversary with Koenig’s birthday.
“Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man. Just last month, on Sept. 14, he turned 90, on the same day Brad and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. I will always treasure that he and I shared that date.”
Takei added: “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend. To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too.”
Koenig shared daughter Danielle and late son Andrew with his wife, Judy Levitt. The couple was married from 1965 until Levitt’s death at age 83 in 2022.
