Simpsons Producer Sam Simon Dies At 59

Nine-time Emmy winner and philanthropist Sam Simon, who co-created the hit animated series The Simpsons, died Sunday of colon cancer at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. He was only 59 and was diagnosed with cancer in late 2012.

The Simpsons show runner Al Jean, took to Twitter to say farewell to Simon.

“Just heard terrible news of death of [Simon]. A great man; I owe him everything. If you would like to honor Sam’s memory, do something nice for the next animal you meet. An enormous loss.”

In 1989, Simon co-developed The Simpsons with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, and he subsequently led the show’s writing staff and created the characters. He left the show after four seasons, but nonetheless made millions off the Simpsons thanks to a lucrative deal that gave him a part of the show’s future profits.

After he discovered that he was terminally ill, Simon said he wanted to donate his fortune to charity. He was especially involved in animal welfare issues. In 2002, he founded the non-profit Sam Simon Foundation, which rescues shelter dogs and trains them to help the disabled. The organization took to Facebook to pay their respects to Simon.

‘’It is with much sadness that we must let you know that Sam Simon has passed over. 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!’’