Michael Bond, the British creator of one of the most-loved children characters Paddington Bear, passed away at the age of 91 after a short illness.

Bond published his first book, A Bear Called Paddington, about the marmalade-loving bear arriving at the London railway station of the same name from the deepest, darkest Peru in 1958.

The beloved writer continued writing until the end. His last Paddington story, Paddington’s Finest Hour, was published in April.