Goodbye, Sam Simon: He Created These Characters for The Simpsons

If you are a 'Simpsons' fan, try imagining Homer Simpson's life without his annoying boss Mr Burns, or Springfield without the incompetent police chief Wiggum or the buffoonish physician Dr Hibbert. That's right, you can't.

Give thanks to Sam Simon, the man who co-created "The Simpsons" and made Springfield, the fictional town where the dysfunctional family lives, look real.

Mr Simon died of colorectal cancer on Sunday at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. He was 59.

Here's a look at some of the key characters he created in The Simpsons:

Mr Burns:

Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr Burns, is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He is also Homer Simpson's boss. Mr Burns first appeared in the season one episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire."

Watch - The time when Mr Burns was intoxicated, or so Homer thought:

Dr Hibbert

Hibbert is a good natured physician, and seems less dysfunctional than everyone else in Springfield. However, he has a tendency to chuckle all the time, and sometimes, at inappropriate moments. He first appeared in the season-two episode "Bart the Daredevil."

The good doctor laughs so much that someone was able to assemble a 10-hour supercut of him just laughing from the show.

Watch it here:

Chief Wiggum:

He is the lazy, incompetent and irresponsible Springfield police chief. He made his debut in 1990's "Homer's Odyssey." This is the cop you wouldn't call if you were robbed.

Bleeding Gums Murphy:

He is Lisa Simpson's saxophone idol. Voiced by Ron Taylor, Daryl Coley and Harry Shearer, Bleeding Gums Murphy appeared in four episodes of the show. He first appeared in 1990's "Moaning Lisa".

Watch:

Sam Simon developed "The Simpsons" with Matt Groening and James L Brooks in the late 1980s.

He left "The Simpsons" in 1994 after the show's fourth season following a strained relationship with Mr Groening, but he retained his Executive Producer role. Thereafter, he had no active part in the series and, according to reports, didn't even watch the show after stepping away.

However, as Executive Producer, Mr Simon was entitled to royalties from "The Simpsons" and received tens of millions of dollars annually, according to his IMDB entry.

And so, he spent much of his life giving his money away to charity. Mr Simon was a big animal rights advocate. In 2002, he founded the non-profit Sam Simon Foundation which rescues stray dogs from animal shelters and trains them to assist the disabled.

After he was diagnosed with cancer in late 2012, he decided to give nearly all his "Simpsons" royalties to charity. He also donated the royalties he earned to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Mr Simon was awarded nine prime-time Emmy awards.

"The Simpsons" showrunner Al Jean tweeted this tribute to Mr Simon, saying he owes him everything.

.@thesimpsons #everysimpsonsever Just heard terrible news of death of @simonsam. A great man; I owe him everything.

- Al Jean (@AlJean) March 9, 2015

.@thesimpsons #everysimpsonsever If you would like to honor Sam's memory, do something nice for the next animal you meet. An enormous loss.

- Al Jean (@AlJean) March 9, 2015

Hollywood also paid their tributes to Simon:

RIP Sam Simon. Your impact on television and the world will not be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/uGure7rMIj

- Larry King (@kingsthings) March 9, 2015

Rest in peace and thank you for The Simpsons, Sam Simon.

- Hank Azaria (@HankAzaria) March 9, 2015