Star Trek producer Fred Freiberger passed away Sunday in his Bel-Air home. He was 88.

Freiberger's career spanned nearly four decades, encompassing television and movie writing and producing. His credits include such cult movie classics as "The Beast from the 20,000 Fathoms" and "The Beginning of the End." His television work includes such legendary series as The Six Million Dollar Man, The Wild Wild West and of course, the original Star Trek, where he served as a producer during the third season.

"I knew Fred for many, many years, even before Star Trek," Original Series star Leonard Nimoy ("Spock") told STARTREK.COM. "I met Fred in the 1950s and he was a gentleman and a gentle man."

Prior to his film and television career, Freiberger was stationed in England with the 8th Air Force during World War II. He spent 22 months in a POW camp after being shot down over Germany and earned a Purple Heart. After the war, he moved to Hollywood and became a movie publicist. A Hollywood strike led him to a writing career.

Freiberger is survived by his wife Shirley, a daughter, a son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Donations can be made to the New Israel Fund, P.O. Box 91588, Washington D.C., 20090.