Marge Simpson inspiration dies: Margaret Ruth Groening was mother to Simpsons creator Matt Groening.
Ms. Groening died “peacefully in her sleep” at age 94, according to an obituary in the Oregonian.
She taught high school English before starting a family.
Her husband’s name was Homer, like the father in the Simpsons. Homer was also a cartoonist, and passed away in 1996.
Margaret is survived by her children Matt, Lisa, Maggie and Mark, 8 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In a long interview with the Smithsonian Magazine last May, Matt Groening didn’t talk much about his mother, only to say that his father had told him that Homer “could never, ever be mean to Marge.”
“He said that was a rule, which corresponds with the way he treated my mother,” said Matt. “He was very nice to her. I thought that was a good note. I don’t know if that is a rule that has ever been articulated to people who work on the show, but everyone just gets it.”
