▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁( C BE ), ▁for ▁services ▁to ▁medicine , ▁in ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁B irth day ▁Hon ours . ▁ ▁The ▁minor ▁planet ▁ 8 4 9 2 8 ▁O li vers acks , ▁discovered ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁his ▁honour . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁S acks ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁From ▁Religion ▁Foundation ' s ▁Honor ary ▁Board ▁of ▁distinguished ▁ach ie vers . ▁He ▁described ▁himself ▁as ▁" an ▁old ▁Jewish ▁at he ist ," ▁a ▁phrase ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁his ▁friend ▁Jonathan ▁Miller . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁S acks ▁never ▁married ▁and ▁lived ▁alone ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁decl ined ▁to ▁share ▁personal ▁details ▁until ▁late ▁in ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁addressed ▁his ▁hom osex ual ity ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁aut obi ography ▁On ▁the ▁Move : ▁A ▁Life . ▁Cel ib ate ▁for ▁about ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁since ▁his ▁for ties , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁he ▁began ▁a ▁friendship ▁with ▁writer ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁contrib utor ▁Bill ▁Hay es . ▁Their ▁friendship ▁slowly ▁evol ved ▁into ▁a ▁committed ▁long - term ▁partners hip ▁that ▁last ed ▁until ▁S acks ' s ▁death ; ▁Hay es ▁wrote ▁about ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁mem oir ▁Ins om nia c ▁City : ▁New ▁York , ▁Oliver , ▁and ▁Me