Stephen Hillenburg

Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American marine biologist, animator, writer, producer, actor, voice actor, and director. He was best known for creating the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.

Hillenburg was born in Lawton, Oklahoma at a United States Army base. He was raised in Anaheim, California. He studied at Humboldt State University where he majored in marine biology and minored in arts. Hillenburg was inspired by Jacques Cousteau and Max Fleischer. Hillenburg had a wife named Karen Umland (now named Karen Hillenburg), which he married till his death.

In March 2017, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is a terminal illness that affects the nervous system. Hillenburg died from heart failure as a complication of the disease on November 26, 2018 in San Marino, California at the age of 57. He is still credited as an executive producer after his death.

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Category:1961 births
Category:2018 deaths
Category:Deaths from heart failure
Category:Deaths from motor neurone disease
Category:Disease-related deaths in California
Category:American animators
Category:American television producers
Category:American television writers
Category:American television actors
Category:American voice actors
Category:American television directors
Category:American biologists
Category:People from Lawton, Oklahoma
Category:Actors from Oklahoma
Category:Scientists from Oklahoma
Category:Writers from Oklahoma
Category:People from Anaheim, California
Category:Actors from California
Category:Scientists from California
Category:Writers from California
Category:Marine biologists