The cause of death for Star Trek favourite Walter Koenig, who died at the age of 90, has been made public.

What the death certificate shows

According to Koenig’s death certificate, first obtained by TMZ and reported by Page Six, the immediate cause was cardiopulmonary arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest. Chronic diastolic congestive heart failure was listed as an underlying cause, with acute renal failure noted as a significant contributing condition.

The document also shows Koenig was cremated on October 30. Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, where his son Andrew was laid to rest in 2010, is listed as his place of final disposition.

Chekov and beyond

Koenig became a fan favourite as navigator Pavel Chekov, joining the original Star Trek in its second season and going on to play the character in seven Star Trek films. Away from the Enterprise, he was also a writer and teacher.

His agency said his legacy “extends far beyond the screen,” adding that he “understood what ‘Star Trek’ meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it” through decades of convention appearances.

Tributes from the bridge crew

The two surviving stars of the original series, William Shatner and George Takei, both honoured their former castmate.

Shatner admitted the pair “did not know each other well away from the set,” but said Koenig “genuinely loved the ‘Star Trek’ community” and was “rarely content to remain behind a signing table” at conventions, preferring to be among the fans.

Takei’s tribute was deeply personal. “Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades,” he wrote. Koenig was best man at Takei’s 2008 wedding to husband Brad, and Koenig’s birthday, September 14, fell on the couple’s anniversary. “Walter was more than Chekov,” Takei added. “He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend.”

Koenig was married to actress Judy Levitt from 1965 until her death in 2022. He is survived by their daughter, Danielle.

Source: Page Six, citing a death certificate obtained by TMZ.