MONTREAL -- Roger Landry, the former editor and president of La Presse who also invented Youppi! during a stint as an executive with the Montreal Expos, passed away on Saturday.

Landry was 86.

A Montreal native, Landry began his career as Bell Canada’s communications manager with the government of Quebec. He then held positions with the Surete du Quebec an Expo 67.

After founding his own public relations consulting firm in 1970 he became vice-president of public affairs for the Rayonier Quebec development project on the North Shore.

In 1977 he was appointed vice-president of marketing for the Expos. It was in that role that he participated in the creation of the team’s famous mascot in 1979. Despite the Expos’ demise, Youppi! has remained a fixture in Montreal sports as the mascot for the Montreal Canadiens.

Landry said Youppi! played a major role in helping the Expos attract 2 million spectators during the 1979 season. During an interview that year with Radio-Canada he said the mascot “helped create the atmosphere that we aimed for in the stadium, which was that of really having fun.”

The next year Landry succeeded Roger Lemelin as president and editor of the La Presse newspaper, a position he held until 2000.

Landry remained heavily involved in municipal politics, becoming the chief of staff to former Trois-Rivieres mayor Yves Levesque in 2005, a position he held for 12 years.

He was also a noted philanthropist, presiding over the 1986 United Way campaign and also supporting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Petits Chanteur du Mont-Royal.

Landry was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1986, an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1990 and a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1996.