Journalist and columnist Mario Roy, who spent most of his career at The Pressdied on Thursday from an illness that had been diagnosed to him very recently.
Mario Roy became a journalist at The Press in 1981 before occupying the post of columnist there from 2000 to 2014, where he was known for his centre-right positions. He was also responsible for the arts and entertainment section of the newspaper, in addition to covering news items and politics. Writer, he published four books including a biography of Offenbach’s singer, Gerry Boulet, for which he had followed the group on tour in order to paint a portrait of the singer.
The director of To have to and close friend of Mario Roy, Brian Myles, remembers a reliable and upright man. “He always spoke with great respect and intellectual cohesion,” he describes. When you got to know him, he was a guy of excessive generosity and always pleasant business. He points out that the journalist from Quebec has climbed the professional ladder during his career. “He didn’t steal his place. »
Adhering to center-right ideals, Mario Roy has often polarized part of society through his writings. “At one time, it was the bane of leftists in Quebec,” said Brian Myles. He’s taken a lot of insults in his career and he was wise enough not to hit back. Mr. Myles also points to what he sees as consistency in Mario Roy’s way of thinking. “It was a very reliable barometer. If you wanted to know what center-right thinking is on an issue, you talk to Mario! »
Cartoonist Serge Chapleau worked closely with Mr. Roy for years in the editorial section of The Press, in addition to being his close friend. He remembers the one he describes as a “big boy” as a deeply respectful man. “He was a very decent gentleman, you might not agree with him, but it didn’t end up in the alley. »
The vice-president of information and associate editor of The PressFrançois Cardinal, also salutes the memory of Mr. Roy: “Mario will be missed by the great family of The Press. He will leave the memory of a journalist endowed with a unique pen and a formidable intelligence, having the gift of making people think as much as making people laugh. »
Brian Myles notes that Mario Roy was a fervent admirer of the French philosopher Jean-François Revel. “So if paradise exists, which would make Mario laugh, he must be in dialogue with Revel. »
Mario Roy is survived by his wife, Joanne, and his two children, Thomas and Juliette, both in their twenties.