"Iron Chef" Star Kerry Simon Dies At The Age Of 60 After 2-Year Battle With Multiple System Atrophy
After two years of battling a degenerative neurological disorder dubbed as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), "Iron Chef" star Kerry Simon passed away Friday morning.
His long-time friend, Robin Leach, said that friends and two Tibetan monks were with Simon in a hospice facility in Las Vegas when Simon died.
"We will always remember Kerry fondly," Leach wrote in his column on the day Simon died. "He was a gentle man who will be missed greatly. He was still young and handsome at 60 years of age. He didn't smoke or drink alcohol, preferring his favorite juices regimen."
Simon, also known as Rock 'n' Roll Chef, was the champion of reality cooking show "Iron Chef" in 2005. According to his business partner, Cory Harwell, the 60-year-old celebrity chef pursued his dreams of putting up restaurants despite his illness.
Simon owns several restaurants in Las Vegas hotels such as in Palms Place and Harrah's. He also operates restaurants in Los Angeles and Atlantic City, Fox News noted on Sunday.
Since their partnership in 2009, Simon and Harwell have opened four restaurants. Aside from that, Harwell also shared that the celebrity chef planned to open their fifth restaurant.
"He ate everything and made suggestions and comments and fixes," says Harwell. "I learned more from him in the past two and a half years than a lifetime of working in and out of kitchens. I'll cherish that forever."
In 2013, Simon and Harwell formed Simon Hospitality Group - a restaurant-hospitality management company in Las Vegas.
"On behalf of everyone at Simon Hospitality Group and all of our restaurants, we are deeply saddened by the passing of Kerry Simon," Harwell says in a dispatch. "Kerry fought a long and courageous battle, and through it all we've admired his passion for life and his amazing desire for greatness in each of our restaurants."
He goes on, "There are no words to describe how much we will miss our colleague, our leader, and our friend. In his passing we will forever hold onto Kerry's love for bringing people together through food. Keep Calm and Kerry On!"