Marcie Evans, 2, shows her understanding of the meaning of Mr. Yuk and his relation to potentially dangerous household items in March 1975. Marcie, her mother, Mrs. Patrick Evans, center, and Dorothy Kriley of Prescription Pharmacy look at the Mr. Yuk stickers. The stickers and charts were given free to parents at all Butler County pharmacies. Butler Eagle File Photo

John Bowman or Jack Neely

Dr. Richard Moriarty, who created the iconic neon green face that has been associated with poison prevention since 1971, died at the age of 83 on Thursday, Sept. 7.

“The Pittsburgh Poison Center family is saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Richard Moriarty,” the Pittsburgh Poison Center said in a statement. “Dr. Moriarty was instrumental in the development and promotion of Mr. Yuk, a Pittsburgh icon that serves as a poison prevention symbol and promotes poison center awareness. Dr. Moriarty’s passion for Mr. Yuk and poison prevention was unmatched. We will work hard to continue Dr. Moriarty’s mission through ongoing promotion of Mr. Yuk in our communities.”

Moriarty, who worked as the former head of Pittsburgh's Poison Center and was a retired pediatrician.

According to the Pittsburgh Poison Center, he helped come up with the idea for a new poison control symbol after it was “determined that children were possibly starting to associate the skull and crossbones symbol with positive things.”

The symbol was designed to deter children from ingesting hazardous substances and to provide parents with the phone number for the poison center.

By 1979, 50 million stickers were being distributed annually, the Pittsburgh Poison Center noted on its website.