Following a battle with colon cancer, Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon has passed away today at the age of 59.

“It is with much sadness that we must let you know that Sam Simon has passed over,” the Sam Simon Foundation said in a statement. “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!”

Simon won seven Emmy awards for his work on The Simpsons as a writer, director and executive producer. He donated much of his fortune to charities including PETA in support of animal rights.

Simon founded the Sam Simon Foundation in 2002, which was dedicated to rehabilitating rescue dogs from shelters, then training them to help the disabled.

(via Polygon)