Someone like Harvey Weinstein has brought much inspiration and joy to the world too. I'm not arguing against the positive so much as just mentioning some of the ugly negatives.
First, dismissing the subjective appropriateness of commenting immediately upon his passing, while your points on Hawking's personal failings may be completely valid, highlighting them without the context of his successes seems misleading.
Second, I believe Hawking's contributions and accomplishments hold greater relevance to the audience of Hacker News (and in my opinion humanity at large) than those of Harvey Weinstein.
Known for:
Hawking radiation
Penrose–Hawking theorems
Bekenstein–Hawking formula
Hawking energy
Gibbons–Hawking ansatz
Gibbons–Hawking effect
Gibbons–Hawking space
Gibbons–Hawking–York boundary term
Thorne–Hawking–Preskill bet
Awards:
Adams Prize (1966)
Eddington Medal (1975)
Maxwell Medal and Prize (1976)
Heineman Prize (1976)
Hughes Medal (1976)
Albert Einstein Award (1978)
RAS Gold Medal (1985)
Dirac Medal (1987)
Wolf Prize (1988)
Prince of Asturias Award (1989)
Andrew Gemant Award (1998)
Naylor Prize and Lectureship (1999)
Lilienfeld Prize (1999)
Albert Medal (Royal Society of Arts) (1999)
Copley Medal (2006)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009)
Fundamental Physics Prize (2012)
BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2015)
Second, I believe Hawking's contributions and accomplishments hold greater relevance to the audience of Hacker News (and in my opinion humanity at large) than those of Harvey Weinstein.
Known for: Hawking radiation Penrose–Hawking theorems Bekenstein–Hawking formula Hawking energy Gibbons–Hawking ansatz Gibbons–Hawking effect Gibbons–Hawking space Gibbons–Hawking–York boundary term Thorne–Hawking–Preskill bet
Awards: Adams Prize (1966) Eddington Medal (1975) Maxwell Medal and Prize (1976) Heineman Prize (1976) Hughes Medal (1976) Albert Einstein Award (1978) RAS Gold Medal (1985) Dirac Medal (1987) Wolf Prize (1988) Prince of Asturias Award (1989) Andrew Gemant Award (1998) Naylor Prize and Lectureship (1999) Lilienfeld Prize (1999) Albert Medal (Royal Society of Arts) (1999) Copley Medal (2006) Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009) Fundamental Physics Prize (2012) BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2015)