Co-Creator of 'The Simpsons' Passes Away at 59

Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons, has passed away at the age of 59 following a three-year bout with cancer. The nine-time Emmy winner’s legacy will live on in an industry he helped shape as a talented screenwriter. In 1989, Simon developed The Simpsons with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, having co-written more than a dozen episodes before stepping away from the series as a scriptwriter in 1993. Simon’s role as an executive producer was supplemented by various endeavors such as directing and consulting on sitcoms like The Drew Carey Show and Anger Management. Despite his 2012 terminal cancer prognosis, Simon maintain a positive outlook on life, having donated millions of his earnings to charity work. Closing with Simon’s words, “I‘ve had the most idyllic life anyone could have, and I’m aware of that.”