RIP Sam Simon, co-creator of the amazing “Simpsons.” While the name Matt Groening is rather well know, it was along with James L. Brooks and Simon, that the Simpsons came alive. Though Simon left the show in 1993, he held onto an executive producer title that earned him tens of millions of dollars a year.
Wanting to distance himself from television, Simon found his calling in philanthropy. In 2002 he created the Sam Simon Foundation. On six acres, in Malibu, stray and abused dogs are rescued and retrained. In 2011 he expanded his efforts to include the Feeding Families program, which delivers vegan food to 200 needy families a day!
Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2012 and given 3-6 months to live, Simon donated the bulk of his fortune to his charities. “Everything the Sam Simon Foundation does is supposed to help dogs and people. The truth is, I have more money than I’m interested in spending. Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this,” Simon told the Hollywood Reporter in 2013.
Simon passed away on Sunday at 59 years old but clearly his legacies will continue to amuse, entertain and most importantly contribute to the betterment of people and dogs each and every day. While this family has always been a huge fan of the Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, I came to love the show even more after learning about Simon’s Foundation after his diagnosis. RIP Mr. Simon and thank you for your amazing contributions to our planet.
