Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76.

[Ravenshire]

Massive loss to the scientific community.

Perhaps.

But I've also heard It said, include by notable Nobel prize winning physicists, that Hawking's actual contribution to advancing the state of physics nowhere near justify his outsized fame as physicist amongst general public, and he would be remembered more as a personality than as a physicist.

Early on his career he was a great physicist, later in his career he was a great physics popularizer. After making great contributions, he made physics accessible to non-physysicists and that was at least as important as his personal contributions to the field. Science is too important to let a failure to communicate it to the masses leaving it mis-understood. This is what will be missed most with his passing. While others will take up the mantle, Tyson comes to mind, none currently have his unique combination of insight and communication skills.