Steve Jobs died peacefully, according to family

The family of former Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said that he died "peacefully" on Wednesday, surrounded by his family. A memorial Web site will be posted.

Jobs passed away at the age of 56. Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene and two children, as well as a daughter from a previous relationship.

On August 24, Jobs stepped down, stating that he could no longer meet his duties and expectations as Apple's chief executive. Jobs was diagnosed with and treated for a rare type of pancreatic cancer in 2004, but he said the 2009 absence was not a resurgence of that cancer. He took a medical leave of absence in January.

In a statement, Jobs' family said he died peacefully.

"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.

"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

Numerous members of the tech world chimed in with their own tributes, and Twitter was filled with condolences attached to the #RIPSteveJobs hashtag. Online, mourners began leaving notes on Facebook tribute pages as well as the Steve Jobs Day Facebook page.

Apple's board also released its own statement.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the board said.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

John Lasseter, chief creative officer and Ed Catmull, president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, released their own joint statement. Jobs was chief executive at Pixar, the digital anaimation house that gave the world Cars, The Incredibles and Toy Story, before it was acquired by Disney in 2006.

"Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family," Lasseter and Catmull said. "He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time."

This article, written by Mark Hachman, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.