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Sam Simon. Photo: Richard Parks/Save the Children
Sam Simon's death was announced today on Facebook, without further details, by the foundation created in his name. He was 59 and had learned in 2012 that he had colon cancer.
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!
Simon's determination to use his wealth for good deeds before his death was been widely reported. Groups that support children and animals were among his biggest beneficiaries. Simin grew up in Beverly Hills, attended Stanford and lived in Pacific Palisades.
From Vanity Fair today:
Simon left The Simpsons after only four seasons, but continues to receive a “developed by” credit in the show’s opening titles. After The Simpsons he went on to co-create The George Carlin Show and contribute to The Drew Carey Show; he also directed episodes of Friends and Men Behaving Badly. In 2007, after his work in television had tapered off in favor of playing poker, boxing, and working extensively with The Sam Simon Foundation, Simon told 60 Minutes, “Listen, work made me crazy.” So, still making an estimated $10 million a year from The Simpsons, he decided to do something else.
“I’m an atheist, but there’s a thing called tithing that a lot of religions do,” Simon told Merrill Markoe in a Vanity Fair profile published last fall. “Ten percent was the minimum you were supposed to give to charity every year. And I always outdid that.” Added Jennifer Tilly, Simon’s ex-wife and close friend, ““Since he became sick, it’s like his vision has expanded. I think he realizes that a lot of things that maybe would make him crazy, they’re just not important. He’s discovered what’s important in life. Such a difference.”
From the New York Times obit today:
The cartoonist Matt Groening, recruited by the producer James L. Brooks, invented the Simpson family for a series of short animated segments first seen in 1987 on “The Tracey Ullman Show.” Mr. Groening even named some of the characters after members of his own family, including Homer and Marge, the parents.
But although Mr. Groening is the person most closely associated with “The Simpsons,” Mr. Simon — who had published cartoons while he was a student at Stanford, worked on the cartoon show “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” and been a writer and producer for the sitcoms “Cheers” and “Taxi” — played a crucial role as “The Simpsons” evolved into a half-hour series, which would eventually become the longest-running sitcom in television history.Mr. Simon helped populate Springfield, the fictional town where the Simpsons live, with a range of distinctive characters. He insisted that the show be created using some conventional sitcom techniques like having writers work collectively. He also had the voice actors read their parts as an ensemble, with the goal of giving the show more lifelike rhythm and timing. He hired many of the show’s first writers, a number of whom have given him credit for informing its distinctive sensibility.
“’If you leave out Sam Simon, you’re telling the managed version,” Jon Vitti, one of the show’s first writers, told The New York Times in 2001. “He was the guy we wrote for.”
It is with much sadness that we must let you know that Sam Simon has passed over. We all miss him, and in his... http://t.co/hQ42NgiLYu
— Sam Simon Foundation (@ssfoundation1) March 9, 2015