Oh Captain, My Captain: Remembering Sir Patrick Stewart

I know 2026 has taken a lot of legends from us, but this one really stings.

Only days after the passing of Walter Koenig, the Star Trek fandom, and the artistic world as a whole, has suffered another tremendous loss with the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart.

It breaks my heart to hear that Stewart died on 28 October 2026, aged 86, following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

I still remember seeing him for the first time back in December 1992. My grandmother had just passed away, and as this was the Catholic side of my family, we spent most evenings for about a month gathered at her house.

For some reason, Star Trek: The Next Generation became the series we watched together as a grieving family.

I couldn’t tell you why we settled on Star Trek, but I remember those evenings, and I remember Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Even now, more than three decades later, those memories have stayed with me.

And that wasn’t the last time Patrick Stewart helped me through a difficult period.

The first season of Star Trek: Picard got me through a considerable chunk of the COVID pandemic. Whenever I need a little morale boost, I still find myself returning to his incredible speech in Star Trek: First Contact.

Then there’s his heartbreaking performance in Logan, a film that showed just how much emotion he could bring to a character we’d known for decades.

And, on a slightly lighter note, has anyone ever looked quite as magnificent as Patrick Stewart charging into battle in Dune?

He brought an energy to every role that made you believe he genuinely lived by the philosophy that there are no small parts, only small actors.

Whether he was performing Shakespeare on the West End stage, appearing in Family Guy, commanding the Enterprise or playing Professor Charles Xavier, he gave everything to his performances.

But what I admired most about Patrick Stewart wasn’t simply his acting.

It was his humanity.

He used his fame and platform to champion causes that mattered, speaking frankly and openly about the domestic abuse he witnessed growing up.

What always struck me was that he approached these painful experiences not simply with anger, but with an extraordinary degree of understanding, compassion and humanity.

That inspired me.

Here was a man who understood the darkness people were capable of, yet still believed in their capacity for kindness and change.

And throughout his later years, he continued to remind us that we’re never too old to embrace life, try something new, laugh at ourselves or simply enjoy being alive.

I think that’s what makes this loss particularly difficult.

For many of us, Patrick Stewart wasn’t just an actor. He was a familiar voice, a comforting presence and, through the characters he portrayed, someone who helped us navigate difficult moments in our own lives.

For me, he’ll always be part of those evenings in December 1992, when a grieving family gathered around a television and found a little comfort aboard the USS Enterprise.

Rest in peace, Sir Patrick Stewart.

Thank you for the memories, the inspiration and the humanity.

May we boldly go forth in your honour.