Sam Simon, who co-created The Simpsons with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, has died after a battle with colorectal cancer. He was 59.
Simon was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late 2012 and announced it publicly in July 2013. At that time, he decided to donate as much of his fortune from the show to charity before he dies. He had already set up the Sam Simon Foundation and made animal rights his main priority.
“It is with much sadness that we must let you know that Sam Simon has passed over,” the foundation wrote in a statement on Facebook. “We all miss him, and in his honor, we will continue bringing his vision to light through our work at The Sam Simon Foundation. We take comfort in knowing how many greetings he is receiving across that Rainbow Bridge. We love you Sam!”
Simpsons showrunner Al Jean also paid tribute to Simon, calling him a “great man” and urged fans to do something nice for an animal.
Matt Selman, another Simpsons producer, wrote that Simon always advised writers to “love your characters.”
Simon was a prolific television writer, winning seven Emmys for The Simpsons and two for The Tracey Ullman Show. He also worked on Taxi, Cheers, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, The Drew Carey Show and, most recently, Charlie Sheen’s Anger Management.