William Shatner: Leonard Nimoy Funeral Missed But Tributes Include Spock-Inspired Emoji And Docu [Video]

William Shatner refuses to apologize for not attending Leonard Nimoy’s funeral, choosing to prioritize a planned appearance at a charity event. And as the late Star Trek actor’s family plans a documentary as a tribute to Nimoy, Shatner prefers to talk about future film plans, reported the Philly News.

However, Captain Kirk did take time to explain why he decided not to beam himself from a charity event across the country to his deceased co-star’s and friend’s funeral.

“I felt I had to go to the Red Cross meeting rather than go to his funeral (and I) caught a bit of flack for that. My thought was, ‘We’ll remember the dead but we’ll deal with the living whose needs are right now’, so I helped raise a lot of money for the Red Cross, which is helping people. I know Leonard would’ve wanted me to do that.”

However, Nimoy fans continue to slam Shatner for declining the flight to Los Angeles where the funeral was held and remaining in Florida at the American Red Cross event.

But Shatner revealed that he devoted time before Nimoy’s death to visiting his friend.

“He was sick for quite a while. He had trouble breathing for months. We had spent a lot of time prior to that, where he would say in mock seriousness, ‘Why didn’t you tell me to stop smoking?’ long before he did. It’s a real lesson about the worst of what smoking can do to you. That COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease); it’s got to be one of the most horrendous ways to die where you can’t catch your breath, so they had him sedated for a while.”

Meanwhile, Leonard Nimoy’s family is planning a tribute in the form of a documentary about COPD, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Julie Nimoy revealed that she felt her dad could have been helped by the latest treatments for condition. Although Nimoy only learned that he had COPD in 2014 after years of smoking, Julie hopes to offer help to others.

“As a special tribute to my father, and to bring more information about COPD to light, I am pleased to announce that my fiancée, David Knight, and I are producing a new documentary film that is going to include the latest advances and treatments available today,” she announced.

COPD: The Logical Way to Improve Lung Function and Breathe Better is scheduled for release in winter 2015.

Also in honor of Leonard Nimoy, Apple is creating a special emoji inspired by Spock and his unique salute, reported Yahoo Tech.

The Live Long and Prosper hand symbol emoji is in beta test versions of Apple’s OS X and iOS Mac and iPhone/iPad software. Although both are scheduled for release in 2015, the company has not yet revealed which beta software emojis will appear in the public roll-outs.

As the Inquisitr reported, Nimoy’s fans have paid tribute in a variety of ways, including putting Spock’s image on Canadian bills.

[Image Via Facebook/Nichelle Nichols]