A patron of the Association since 2008, he had been involved with the charity since it was founded back in 1979. The theoretical physicist and cosmologist wrote A Brief History of Time in 1988. It went on to appear on the Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks.   

More recently the story of his diagnosis of MND and the impact on his young family won Oscar success in 2015 with the film The Theory of Everything.   

Sally Light, Chief Executive of the MND Association, said: “All of us at the MND Association have been extremely saddened by the news of Professor Hawking’s passing.    

“Through so many years in the public eye he did a huge amount to raise awareness of motor neurone disease (MND), yet he never allowed himself to be defined by his illness. His approach to life with MND is an example to all of us.    

“The story of his life and the impact of MND on his family reached a global audience in 2015. We were involved from the very start with the production of the film The Theory of Everything and it was an incredibly powerful tool for further raising awareness of motor neurone disease.  

 “We were honoured that Professor Hawking was a patron of the Association and inspired by his tenacity to keep pushing boundaries. We will continue to do all we can to support people living with MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We campaign to improve waiting times and improve services for people affected by MND and we also fund research globally to find out more about this devastating disease, and ultimately find a cure.   

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”