Colin Weir, one of the winners of the £161m jackpot in what was Europe’s biggest lottery prize, has died at the age of 71 after a short illness.

Weir and his then wife, Chris, from Largs in North Ayrshire, claimed the entire EuroMillions jackpot – £161,653,000 – in the summer of 2011.

A spokeswoman for Weir’s lawyers said: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Colin Weir early today after a short illness. We would ask for privacy for his family and friends at this distressing time. No further comment will be made other than to offer sincere thanks to the staff of University hospital Ayr for their care and compassion.”

The couple used some of the money they won to set up the Weir Charitable Trust in 2013 and made a donation to a community football club in Largs. They also invested in Partick Thistle football club, which led to the team’s youth setup being rebranded the Thistle Weir youth academy. A section of their Firhill stadium was also named the Colin Weir stand.

Weir secured a majority shareholding at the club in November and promised to give his 55% stake directly to a fans’ group by March 2020.

A minute’s applause will be held at the Partick Thistle game on Saturday to commemorate Weir’s death. Players will also wear black armbands during the fixture against Greenock Morton.

Partick Thistle FC tweeted: “It is with deep sadness that we confirm that lifelong Jags fan Colin Weir passed away earlier today.

“On behalf of everyone at Partick Thistle, our love, thoughts and prayers are with the family and close friends of Colin at this most difficult time.”

The Weirs also donated to the Scottish independence campaign before the 2014 referendum, and gave money to the Scottish National party after the vote was lost.

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said she was incredibly sad to hear of Weir’s death.

She said: “Colin’s determination and generosity in the cause of Scottish independence cannot be overstated and was hugely appreciated. The SNP and the independence movement has lost a true friend today and we will miss him dearly.”

Mike Russell, the Scottish government’s cabinet secretary for government business and constitutional relations, tweeted: “Sad to see this – remember him very kindly, both of us contesting seats in 1987, working on PPBs for the SNP when I was VC publicity and his great generosity after his win.”

When the couple won the money, Weir said: “It felt like a dream. Everything went into slow motion. But it feels like a good thing, something we should not be afraid of but for us to enjoy with the children. All our lives we have lived within our means and been comfortable. We appreciate that this money brings about a whole new life for us and our family.

“We now have so many new opportunities to explore, but we won’t rush it. For us, it will be a gradual change with choices to be made.”

The jackpot was capped at €185m (£158.1m) after a series of rollovers made it the largest ever in Europe.