Peter Fonda, the son of famed actor Peter Fonda and younger brother to model and actress Jane Fonda, has died at the age  79. The cause of death was respiratory lung failure due to lung cancer, according to an exclusive statement made by the Fonda family to People Magazine. 

“In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy,” the Fonda family disclosed. “And while we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life. In honor of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom.”

Peter Fonda became a cultural symbol for the tumultuous, hippy times of the 60s after producing, cowriting, and starring as a biker in the film Easy Rider alongside Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper, often regarded as one of the key counterculture entries of the New Hollywood movement. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and made more than $40 million at the box office. Fonda was nominated for a second Oscar for Best Actor in Ulee’s Gold, in which he starred as a beekeeper.