The ALS Association mourns the loss of Dr. Stephen Hawking and commemorates his life and legacy.

Hawking, a renowned physicist and best-selling author who famously studied black holes and whose life was depicted in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in 1963. The average life expectancy of person living with ALS is approximately two to five years after diagnosis and only 10 percent of people survive for more than 10 years.

He served as an inspiration for many in all walks of life, including people living with ALS around the world.

"Be curious, and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up," Hawking once said.

ALS Association Board of Trustees Chair Stephen Winthrop spoke of Hawking’s impact.

"Most people describe ALS as a disease that, bit by bit, robs a patient’s ability to move and function. But Stephen Hawking has inspired me to focus on what I can do, rather than what my body can no longer do," Winthrop said.