Richard Glatzer, director and writer for the Oscar-winning film Still Alice, passed away at the age of 63 on Tuesday, March 10.

For those that may not know, Glatzer had been suffering from ALS since 2011. Film publicist Ekta Farrar confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Glatzer was taken to an L.A. hospital due to respiratory problems just two days before the Academy Awards. There, Still Alice star Julianne Moore received the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a linguistics professor who struggled with early onset Alzheimer's disease.

Glatzer watched the awards show in the hospital with his husband and fellow Still Alice film maker Wash Westmoreland. The two met in 1995 and married in 2013.

In a statement Westmoreland said, "Rich was my soul mate, my collaborator, my best friend and my life. In this dark time, I take some consolation in the fact that he got to see Still Alice go out into the world. He put his heart and soul into that film, and the fact that it touched so many people was a constant joy to him."

Glatzer, despite his illness, never missed a day on set. He communicated to everyone by typing with one finger on an iPad.

For those that may not know, Still Alice is based on a novel by Lisa Genova. In an interview with NPR (National Public Radio) last year, Glatzer was shook up by the novel by how close to home it hit. He said that he could relate to the character and was determined to make his dream of it becoming a movie a reality.

Moore, upon receiving the award, paid tribute to Glatzer, "[Richard] said that he wanted to make movies, and that's what he did."

Along with Westmoreland, Glatzer is survived by his sister, Joan, her husband, David, his nieces and nephews, and his daughter, Ruby.