The man who created the "Little Free Library" has passed away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 62.

An update from The Little Free Library today says,

We’re deeply saddened to report that our Founder, Todd H. Bol, passed away Thursday, October 18."

Bol made his first Little Free Library nine years ago using wood from an old garage door and erecting it in front of his Hudson, WI home in honor of his late mother.

MPR reports that Bol hosted a garage sale in 2010, but the Little Free Library was the main attraction. That first year, he managed to sell one and gave away another 30 Little Free Library bookcases.

Today, that one Little Free Library has grown into a world-wide network of 75,000 libraries in 88 countries, giving everyone access to books and communities opportunities to get to know their neighbors.

Bol, who was a native of St. Paul and had attended Stillwater High School, was only recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and leaves behind a wife Susan and two adult children Austin and Allison.

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