"Iron Chef" star Kerry Simon died on Friday morning in Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The celebrity chef lost his two-year battle with the brain disease Multiple System Atrophy at the age of 60.
Simon was dubbed the "rock 'n' roll chef" by Rolling Stone and had restaurants at Palms Place, Harrah's and Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas. He was diagnosed with MSA in 2013.
Multiple system atrophy is a rare neurological disorder that impairs a person's involuntary (autonomic) functions, including blood pressure, heart rate, bladder function and digestion, according to the Mayo Clinic. It typically affects adults in their 50s and 60s and there is no known cure.
The chef's business partner Elizabeth Blau honored her friends dying wish to have two Tibetan monks say bedside prayers with him at Nathan Adelson Hospice shortly before his death. His good friend Robin Leach wrote his obituary for the Las Vegas Sun.
"You're never prepared for something like this. We're devastated that we lost such an amazing and kind man but know he is in a better place," Blau said in the obituary. "Our focus now is to continue this fight against MSA in Kerry's honor."
Simon won "Iron Chef America" in 2005 and served as a judge on the show. He also made appearance's on Fox's "Hell's Kitchen."
