Stephen Hillenburg, the visionary creator of "SpongeBob SquarePants" has
died at the age of 57.The cause of death was Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS), a rare terminal illness that affects nerve cells in
the brain and the spinal cord, which Hillenburg revealed he had been
diagnosed with in March of last year. “We are incredibly saddened by the
news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with
ALS,” Nickelodeon said in a statement. “He was a beloved friend and
long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go
out to his entire family. Steve imbued ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ with a
unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations
of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the
world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of
optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”Hillenburg,
who created SpongeBob SquarePants also directed 2004's The SpongeBob
SquarePants Movie.He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Karen
Hillenburg and son Clay.SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg dies at 57 from ALS
Stephen Hillenburg, the visionary creator of "SpongeBob SquarePants" has
died at the age of 57.The cause of death was Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS), a rare terminal illness that affects nerve cells in
the brain and the spinal cord, which Hillenburg revealed he had been
diagnosed with in March of last year. “We are incredibly saddened by the
news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with
ALS,” Nickelodeon said in a statement. “He was a beloved friend and
long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go
out to his entire family. Steve imbued ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ with a
unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations
of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the
world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of
optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”Hillenburg,
who created SpongeBob SquarePants also directed 2004's The SpongeBob
SquarePants Movie.He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Karen
Hillenburg and son Clay.
