The creator of worldwide famous animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, died at the age of 57 on Monday. The maker of the popular series on Nickelodeon was diagnosed with ALS in March 2017, as per the latest media reports. The official Twitter handle of the kids' channel paid homage to the nine-time Emmy Nominee. They wrote, "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." Stephen is survived by his wife Karen Hillenburg, son Clay, mother Nancy Hillenburg and brother Brian Kelly Hillenburg.

They also released an official statement that reads as "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."

He first brought the series into existence in 1999 and went on to give 250 successful episodes of it. It became a rage worldwide which resulted into the episodes getting dubbed in over 60 languages. The series also won coveted trophies of U.S. and British Emmy Awards, Annie Awards, and ASACP Awards. Later on, he wrote, directed and produced movies named 'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' (2004) and its sequel 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water' (2015).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 28, 2018 12:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).