Canadian actress Barbara March, best known for her portrayal of the evil Duras sister Lursa in the Star Trek franchise, passed away on August 11, 2019, following a battle with cancer. She was 65 years old.

Barbara March was born on October 9, 1953 in Toronto, Ontario. After attending the University of Windsor, March began performing in Canada’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, as well as in both New York and Los Angeles. Throughout her stage career, March portrayed Isabella in Measure for Measure, Desdemona in Othello, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the title heroine in The Duchess of Malfi, Ruth in Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming and performed as Lady Macbeth on numerous occasions. 

During this time she met her future husband and fellow actor Alan Scarfe, who later guest starred in episodes of The Next Generation and Voyager. Following her role as Lursa in the Star Trek: The Net Generation episodes “Firstborn” and “Redemption,” March reprised her role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Generations. Outside of Star Trek, March also appeared in Total Security, L.A. Law, The Portrait, The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, Blood Ties, Kingsgate, Nightheat and Deserters. This latter role earned March a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress.

In recent years March has frequented several Star Trek conventions, occasionally appearing in full Lursa makeup. She was also a prolific writer, working on television episodes, poems, plays, novellas. 

She is survived by her husband Alan and children Jon and Tosia.