That's a shame- he must have been a humble fellow, as I don't think it was publically known that he had ALS until his death.
He certainly had a pivotal role in From The Earth To The Moon- and a necessary one since most of the world received the story of Apollo from a 'Walter Cronkite-like person' on a TV screen. As for the episode about 13- nobody I know cares for it and probably now in retrospect the producers are kicking themselves and saying 'why didn't we think of something else.' Of course they were the same producers who did the movie of Apollo 13 just a year or so before- and the FTETTM series forced them to present it from a different angle. It does make some points though- about the privacy of astronauts and their families, and as such stands up with the "First Wives Club" episode to illuminate that issue and gives a glimpse at the public mentality of those times. It's a point in history that will never be repeated- if and when the time comes that we return to the moon or set foot on Mars, I doubt the media coverage will be as rampant.... sadly.
Anyway, like L.O., I'll always remember Lane Smith as Perry White as well- and can remember him in many other TV and film roles through my life.