Hillenburg had said
last year that he was suffering from the neurodegenerative disease ALS, also
known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"We are
incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following
a battle with ALS," the network 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."
Hillenburg was a
marine biology teacher in Southern California when he started creating sea
creatures as teaching tools.
The first episode
of "SpongeBob SquarePants," featuring the cheery yellow sea sponge
and his friends who live in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom,
aired on television in May 1999.
The series went on
to win multiple awards, produced a series of spin-off books, two Hollywood
movies and a Broadway musical.
"Steve imbued
SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humour and innocence that has
brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere," the
Nickelodeon statement said. "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."
