Distinguished television writer Steve Pepoon, known for his writing contributions to several famous shows like Roseanne, Alf, and The Simpsons, has died unexpectedly at age 68. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy-award winner had been in treatment for a heart condition known as cardiac amyloidosis, which he had dealt with the past two years. Pepoon passed away at his home in Paola, Kansas on May 3, according to Mary Stephenson, his wife, who shared the news with The Hollywood Reporter.

A Kansas native, Pepoon moved to Los Angeles in 1979. It wasn’t until 1985 though, that his first script for Silver Spoons was picked up. Making his way into the writing industry, he was hired fifteen months later as a staff writer on the NBC comedy show Alf, which aired until 1990.

His first consideration for an Emmy award came from his writing on an episode of The Simpsons, entitled “Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment”, which made ‘best animated program’ according to The Hollywood Reporter. In a 2016 interview, Pepoon discussed being chosen for the award.

“For whatever reason, they chose my episode for an Emmy consideration,” he stated via the interview on Youtube.

Also serving as the head writer for Tom Arnold and Roseanne Barr, Pepoon helped write episodes for ABC’s The Jackie Thomas Show, which aired from 1992 to 1993, following writing episodes for Roseanne as well during the show’s air on ABC.

While not just a writer for the popular 90s TV series, Pepoon dabbled in creating his own shows such as Nickelodeon’s The Wild Thornberries, which ran for five seasons from 1998 to 2004. The cartoon saw different voice actors such as the famous Tim Curry (Home Alone, The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as Sir Nigel Archibald and many others. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pepoon collaborated with fellow writers Arlene Klasky (Jumanji, Rocket Power), Gábor Csupó (All Growed Up, Bridge to Terabithia), David Silverman (The Resident, Eek! The Cat), and Stephen Stusarsic (The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Cleghorne!).

With a resume of notable and recognizable works, and dabbling with comedy inspiration from his favorite 1950s show The Dick Van Dyke Show, Pepoon made fun loving comedy which will live on for years to come. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a celebration of life is planned for Saturday, May 17, at the Paola Community Center. In his honor, Pepoon’s family is collecting memorial contributions to create a scholarship fund for students at Paola High School who want to seek a career in writing.