Don S. Davis of Stargate Has Passed

Don S. Davis, best known to genre fans as Maj. Gen. George Hammond in the Stargate television and film franchise, died on June 29. He was 65.

Davis was a co-star during the first seven years of "Stargate SG-1." As a result of a medical condition, he cut back to making guest appearances on "SG-1" until the show wrapped at the end of its 10th season.

He also brought Gen. Hammond to several episodes of "Stargate: Atlantis."

His final franchise appearance will be in the upcoming direct-to-DVD film, "Stargate: Continuum," scheduled for release on July 29.

He appeared in numerous films, including "Far Cry," "Woodshop" and "Vipers," all of which are in post-production.

He guest-starred on several television shows, such as "Supernatural," "The Dead Zone" and "Flash Gordon."

Davis met fellow Stargate star Richard Dean Anderson during work on "MacGyver" when Davis served as a stunt double for Dana Elcar.

He was born in Aurora, Mo., in 1942, and served in the U.S. Army. An accomplished artist as well as actor, Davis married Ruby Fleming-Davis in 2003. They were residents of British Columbia.

His family released a statement that said "so many of you have been touched by not only the work and art of Don S. Davis, but by the man himself, who always took the time to be with you at the appearances he loved, that it is with a tremendous sense of loss I must share with you that Don passed away from a massive heart attack on Sunday morning, June 29.

"On behalf of his family and wife, Ruby, we thank you for your prayers and condolences. A family memorial where Don's ashes will be scattered in the ocean will take place in a few weeks, and should you wish to, please make a donation to the American Heart Association in Don's memory."

"Stargate: Atlantis" executive producer Joseph Mallozzi told reporters during a conference call July 1 that Davis would certainly be missed.

"He had a bigger heart and was even nicer than the Hammond character that he played," Mallozzi said. Fans "would approach him in the sense that they were approaching Gen. Hammond. but once they got to know him, they got to know Don Davis, a very warm-hearted, incredibly self-deprecating man, who sadly will be incredibly missed by not just the fans, but anyone who worked with him."