The spirit of Spock will live long and prosper. #RIPLeonardNimoy #LLAP pic.twitter.com/WyqQgTNDod
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) February 27, 2015
President Barack Obama, whose affect has often earned him comparisons to Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, paid tribute to the Star Trek star, who died Friday morning at age 83.
Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future.
I loved Spock.
In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for “Live long and prosper.” And after 83 years on this planet — and on his visits to many others — it’s clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today.
Read next: This Is How the New Spock Said Goodbye to the Old Spock
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