Stephen Hillenburg the creator of the world famous SpongeBob SquarePants has died at the age of 57 on 26 Nov 2018. He was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years Karen Hillenburg, son Clay, mother Nancy Hillenburg (nee Dufour) and brother Brian Kelly Hillenburg, his wife Isabel, and nieces Emma and Hazel.
Nickelodeon announced his death in a tweet: “We are sad to share the news of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Today, we are observing a moment of silence to honor his life and work.”
💛 We are sad to share the news of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. Today, we are observing a moment of silence to honor his life and work. 💛
— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) November 27, 2018
The cartoon started airing since 1999 and has spanned 12 seasons with a total of 242 episodes.
