Free-marketeers and friends of Dr Laurence Hayek will be shocked and saddened to learn of his sudden death at the age of 70. A very practical microbiologist who always thought economic theory completely bamboozling, he was of course the son of the Nobel Laureate in Economics, Friedrich Hayek.

In later years he became a sort of roving representative for his father's life and work, appearing all round the world on platforms alongside other Nobel laureates (Milton Friedman, James Buchanan, Gary Becker...) and prominent people like EU-Commissioner Fritz Bolkestein, former president of the German Central Bank Hans Tietmeyer, Lord Harris of High Cross, Professor Ralf Dahrendorf, and many more.

I saw him last a few weeks back, at an evening seminar to mark the 60th anniversary of the publication of his father's book The Road to Serfdom. As usual, he had brought an impressive (and priceless) assortment of family memorabilia, including early photographs, the Nobel Prize certificate, various medals, and of course the legendary manuscript copy of The Road to Serfdom itself.

Larry Hayek had been very kind in lending much of this material to the Adam Smith Institute during the preparation of our illustrated biography of his father, Hayek: A Commemorative Album by John Raybould. He had become a good friend and is bitterly missed.