He was a voice actor best known for providing the voice of the fictional giant robot Optimus Prime in the smash-hit 1980s TV cartoon Transformers. The original Transformers cartoon ran from 1984 to 1987, with the sci-fi series following a breakaway clan of robots fighting for freedom against their tyrannical rivals.

The battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons spawned a hugely popular line of toys that flew off the shelves faster than they could be restocked. That popularity has endured over the decades, producing countless TV reboots and a hugely successful movie franchise.

Like a juggernaut, Transformers never seems to run out of steam. And the voice behind Optimus Prime was Peter Cullen, who has passed into the dark at the age of 85.

We don’t do obituaries here at the Daily Car Blog, but Peter Cullen was the voice of many childhoods spanning more than 40 years. And it wasn’t just the Transformers franchise. Cullen was an in-demand voice actor whose unmistakable voice became part of popular culture.

But all things, in the end, come to a conclusion. As difficult as that is to accept, we must. What we can do, however, is be thankful for what came before—the characters, the memories and the voices that helped shape our childhoods.

For millions of people, Peter Cullen’s voice will always be Optimus Prime.

Peter Cullen, he was and always will be Optimus Prime.