Gabriel García Márquez receives touching social media tweeting send off

The creator of magical realism and one of the best authors of our time, Gabriel García Márquez, passed away Thursday, April 17, at the age of 87. Although Márquez's health had been fragile for many months, his death was still a shock to the world. Celebrities, world leaders and fans of his books expressed their sorrow and love for Márquez on Twitter.

Affectionately known as Gabo by many of his fans and friends around the world, Márquez was considered one of the best authors of all time. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda said Márquez's masterpiece, "One Hundred Years of Solitude," is the best contribution to literature written in the Spanish language since Miguel de Cervantes published "Don Quixote" in 1605.

His writing style was unparalleled and fantastically beautiful. Márquez's iconic writing style and the magnitude of his work earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. Gabo is undoubtedly one of the finest and most beloved writers of our time. The response to his death on Twitter was heartfelt and overwhelming.

Typically, when someone famous dies, particularly when they are a famous author, the response on Twitter is somewhat tepid and many write they've never read so-and-so's books. Márquez seems to be the exception to that rule. After reading through hundreds of tweets, only admiration is to be found.

Among the most heartfelt tweets were those from fellow Colombian celebrities, including musicians Shakira and Juanes:

The following quote by Juanes, when translated into the English, says, "The greatest of all has left, but his immortal legend remains."

Colombian actress Sofia Vergara from "Modern Family" also expressed her sorrow at Gabo's passing.

Many other tweets featured famous quotations from the legendary author as well as images of Gabo and his books.

Although President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton didn't mention Márquez in tweets, both acknowledged him publicly. Clinton, who was the first U.S. president to grant Márquez a visa to travel to the United States in spite of his controversial politics, has a special memory of meeting the writer.

During their meeting, Clinton's daughter Chelsea, who was a huge fan of Márquez, spoke at length with the author about his books. Márquez couldn't believe the 14-year-old Chelsea had read and understood his books, so he quizzed her. Gabo was so impressed that he sent her a collection of his entire body of work. Chelsea spoke fondly of Márquez on Twitter:

Others tweeted without sadness and instead proposed fitting toasts to Gabo's long life:

Perhaps the best tweets of all were tinged with Márquez's unique brand of magical realism, like this one: