'Simpsons' writer-producer Don Payne dead at 48

LOS ANGELES, March 28 (UPI) -- Writer-producer Don Payne has died at his Los Angeles home after a battle with bone cancer, his friend and former writing partner John Frink said. He was 48.

Frink confirmed Payne's Tuesday death to the Los Angeles Times, but he did not say what the exact cause of it was.

The North Carolina native won four Emmy Awards for his work on "The Simpsons." He also penned the screenplays for "Thor," "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer."

Payne is survived by his wife, Julie; their sons, Nathaniel and Joshua; their daughter, Lila; his mother, Barbara Payne; a brother, John Payne, and a sister, Suzanne Fanning, the Times said.

A memorial service is scheduled for Friday at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles.