<text>  CNNRichard Glatzer, who directed a powerful film about a professor battling Alzheimers as he faced his own harrowing health struggles, has died. Glatzer died in Los Angeles on Tuesday after having ALS for four years, his publicist said. He was 63. Glatzer co-directed Still Alice with his husband, Wash Westmoreland. The 2014 film earned a number of major awards for its lead actress, Julianne Moore. Directing the movie was a challenge that Glatzer embraced, even as he faced a growing number of health obstacles after his ALS diagnosis in 2011. On set, he inspired the cast and crew with his perseverance, co-directing the film by typing with one finger into a text-to-speech app on his iPad, his publicists statement said. In a Twitter post Wednesday, Westmoreland said he was devastated. Richard was my soul mate, my collaborator, my life, he said. A true artist and a brilliant man. Opinion: Why Still Alice is about you . When she accepted her Academy Award for best actress last month for her role in the film, Moore noted Glatzers absence. Finally, to our filmmakers, Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, who had hoped to be here tonight, but they cant because of Richards health, she said. When Richard was diagnosed with ALS, Wash asked him what he wanted to do. Did he want to travel? Did he want to see the world? He said he wanted to make movies. And thats what he did. People weve lost in 2015 . CNNs Topher Gauk-Roger contributed to this report. 