This past Friday, American actor Leonard Nimoy passed away at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. He was 83 years old. Nimoy is best known for playing the role of Spock on "Star Trek," and passed away due to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

According to the New York Times, Nimoy announced his ill health last year, attributing the disease to his habit of smoking which he had given up three decades earlier.

Before being cast as Spock in the original mid-1960s "Star Trek," Nimoy was teaching in an acting studio of his own. He is said to have enjoyed playing outsiders, but sometimes found being tethered to his character of Spock to be problematic. This can be gathered from the titles of two of his autobiographies: "I Am Not Spock," published in 1977, and "I Am Spock," published in 1995.

Though "Star Trek" was canceled after three seasons because of low ratings, Nimoy's popularity endured. Many loyal fans - called Trekkies or Trekkers - held meetings together and celebrated the series long after its final episode. "Star Trek" was later spun into an animated series as well as a series of different movies, with J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" franchise being the latest revival.

It isn't hard to find fans of "Star Trek" - even President Obama is one! Following Nimoy's death, he stated, "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."

According to USA Today, Obama also mentioned that he met Nimoy in person in 2007. He said of the encounter, "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."