The father of iconic Marathon of Hope runner Terry Fox has died.

The patriarch of the Fox family – Rolland died Tuesday afternoon.

The Terry Fox foundation says “Rolly” passed away at the age of 80 while listening to a little Hank Williams.

It was earlier this year Fox announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

His son Terry lost a leg to cancer in 1977 and launched his Marathon of Hope in 1980 when he ran more than five-thousand kilometres to raise money for cancer research

He died the next year at age 22, but Terry Fox runs have been held in communities around the world for decades since