The cause of his death has been reported to be ALS. He had revealed his ALS diagnosis in March last year.
The creator of SpongeBob Squarepants, Stephen Hillenburg, passed away last night, at the age of 57.
The man brought joy to kids across the world with the hamburger-making, butterfly-hunting, and neighbour-pestering yellow sponge, and his adventures across Bikini Bottom.
On losing one of its most treasured creators, 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 humour and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere.
His honest, original, and wacky characters serve as a reminder of the values of optimism, friendship, and the limitless power of imagination.
Prayers poured in from people across Twitter, on losing the man who brought joy to them as kids.
A Sweet Victory to you Stephen Hillenburg! Spongebob was my life as a kid…so thank you for defining not only my childhood, but an entire generation’s sense of humor. pic.twitter.com/VBBHtlY43g
— 🐉 ScruffytheDragon 🐉 (@ScruffyTurtles) November 28, 2018
RIP pic.twitter.com/TTXJlooKP7
— L O M J E #CatChooper #30/11 a la calle (@Kuervo_SC) November 28, 2018
So sad. The world lost someone who brought smiles to children and adults.
— thomas lee (@LeeRaymondtom) November 28, 2018
RIP 🙏🏼—Thank You for the joy of watching with my daughter!
— eddietorial (@eddietorial) November 28, 2018
My 12 year old daughter is so incredibly sad. “Bob Bob Guy” was one of the first things she started saying as a toddler & she still watches the antics down in Bikini Bottom almost every day. This is just heartbreaking for his friends, family, & all those to whom he brought joy.
— StacieJM (@StacieJM00) November 28, 2018
One of my favorite cartoons !!! Make me feel a little boy, always !!! R.I.P. !!! pic.twitter.com/2rUORAcJqi
— Eloy Colmenero (@EloyColmenero) November 28, 2018
The legacy he has left behind will keep putting cheery smiles on kids across the world.
