'The Simpsons' Co-Creator Sam Simon Dead at 59

Nine-time Emmy award winner Sam Simon - co-creator of "The Simpsons" - died at the age of 59 last Sunday in his home in California, losing a battle against cancer. Announcement of his death was made via his foundation on Facebook, stating, "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."

Simon, who co-created the massively popular yellow characters from Springfield with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2012 and has been giving his fortune to support animal rights worldwide. According to Deadline, he gave exclusive access of the final months of his life to Fusion, in order to document "the powerful and emotional story of his fight in two battles - one against cancer and another for animal rights," as stated by the network.

Simon, a known vegan, is passionate about his cause, and according to The Wrap, he has donated over $100 million to charities supporting animal rights. He served as a long-time member of the PETA National Board and founded the Sam Simon Foundation in 2002, and The Sam Simon Foundation: Feeding Families in 2011.

Al Jean, long-time executive producer for "The Simpsons" also paid his respects to Simon and said in a public statement, "He was a genius and a great humanitarian in ways public and private. I personally owe him more than can be repaid, but I will do my best to help every animal I can in his memory.

Rolling Stone noted that Simon got his start as a cartoonist for a newspaper before he submitted a script for "Taxi," a sitcom in the early eighties, and within two years became the series showrunner. It was where he first met producer James L. Brooks, who later became the co-creator of "The Tracey Ullman Show." Brooks then hired Simon and Matt Groening to create an animated segment for the show, which was now known as "The Simpsons."

Simon's tenure on the animated series ended in 1993, however, his input was what made the series into what it is today. In fact, his input was so valuable, he is still credited as an executive producer even though it's been 22 years since he stopped being creative supervisor.