Bil Keane, who created the popular Family Circus newspaper cartoon strip in 1960, has passed away at age 89, reports to the AP.

Keane's wholesome, family-oriented strip, which was modeled heavily on his own experiences as a husband and father, still runs in some 1,500 newspapers, more than any other strip in syndication. By this point, Keane's regular tropes and themes -- kids genially behaving badly, tired moms and dads, family pets -- have become iconic hallmarks to any fan of the strip, or really to nearly anyone who's ever opened up to the funnies page in their local newspaper.

Keane, an Army vet who drew for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, died of heart failure according to his son. We're sad to hear that he's reached the end of his little dotted path.

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Richard Lawson