The tragic passing of Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons, who passed away last week aged 59 following a battle with colon cancer, struck a particularly raw nerve among the TV and creative communities.
Simon, by all accounts, spent his life doing naught but good for a vast number of people, and his philanthropic efforts, particularly the work he did with animals, will be felt for decades to come.
The Simpsons, currently in the midst of its 26th season, closed out the broadcast of its seventeenth episode by airing a short, sharp, but extremely poignant and touching tribute to Simon at the conclusion of the episode.
After the credits finished rolling, the show a simple message calling “one of the greatest comic minds ever,” before ending with a still shot of Simon, surrounded by cardboard cutouts of some of his contributions to the Springfield community.
Dan Itzkoff of the New York Times captured the tribute on Twitter.
Simon was responsible for the creation of the models for many of the Simpsons’ beloved second tier characters such as Mr. Burns, Dr. Hibbert, Chief Wiggum, Eddie and Lou.
He bequeathed his entire estate – valued at around $100million – to the various charities he worked with over the course of his life.
What an unquestionably great human being. My heroes are dying. This is really rough.
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images.
