Creator of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Stephen Hillenburg. Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP. Creator of Nickelodeon’s hit cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants, Stephen Hillenburg, died Monday at the age of 57. The official cause of death is ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a diagnosis he revealed in March 2017. “We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS,” said Nickelodeon 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. 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.” The children’s cable channel also paid tribute via a tweet: “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.” He graduated from Northern California’s Humboldt State University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in natural resource planning and interpretation, with an emphasis on marine resources.