Morton "Morty" Mint, who was one of Canadian publishing’s best known and colorful figures during his career, died January 25 after a nearly decade-long fight with dementia. He was 80.

Mint began his career with Collier Macmillan Canada as a college sales rep, eventually moving into educational sales. In 1974, Mint entered into the trade publishing world at Collins Canada, where he was named a VP. Nine years later, he was appointed president and CEO of Penguin Books Canada. In 1989, he moved to the U.S. as president of Penguin USA, and then served as president of Price, Stern, Sloan from 1992 to 1993.

After leaving corporate publishing, Mint started his own publishing company, Mint Publishing Group, along with the Mint Literary Agency. The Mint Publishing Group’s philosophy was to focus on brand building. “That's the niche we've created," Mint told PW in 2003. Under Mint’s guidance, the millennium edition of the Guinness World Records sold over 2.25 million copies in hardcover. He also turned titles published under the Ripley’s Believe it or Not name into bestsellers.

Mint moved to Nelson, British Columbia in 2005 and cofounded the Kootenay Literary Society (KLS) and Kootnenay Literary Competition. The Nelson-based KLS currently oversees the Elephant Mountain Lit Fest among other projects. Professionally, the work he did during this part of his life was the most rewarding, his wife of 56 years, Marilyn Mint, told PW. “He lived books, authors, ideas, nurtured young talent through the founding of the Kootenay Literary Competition.”

A remembrance of Mint published in the Nelson Star neatly summed up what many who worked with Mint will recognize—his larger-than-life personality, ability to ruffle feathers, and unflagging passion, which he put toward countless projects over the course of his life.