Stephen Mindich, the longtime owner and publisher of the Boston Phoenix, has died after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 74.

The news was relayed this morning by Mindich’s daughter-in-law, Rachael, in a message posted to the Phoenix Media/Communications Group Alumni Facebook group. “It is with great sadness that I share with you the loss of our PMCG founder, Stephen Mindich,” she writes. “The man who brought every one of us in this group together passed away last night after a courageous 4 year battle with pancreatic cancer. May he now rest in peace. Visitation details will follow when available over the next few days.”

For several decades, Mindich served as owner and publisher of the Boston Phoenix until the alt-weekly shuttered in March 2013. He also shaped arts coverage throughout New England for nearly 50 years, launching and operating the Providence Phoenix, Portland Phoenix and Worcester Phoenix, and earning a pivotal voice in radio behind WFNX Radio 101.7 FM. More of Mindich’s remarkable career is documented in this bio from Northeastern University, which acquired the Phoenix archives a few years ago.

Upon hearing of Mindich’s death, longtime Phoenix reporter Dan Kennedy posted the following note to Facebook: “I have just learned that Stephen Mindich, the founder and publisher of the late, great Boston Phoenix, has died after a long illness. This is incredibly sad news. I had the honor of working for Stephen from 1991 to 2005. He was a man of vision, passion and intense loyalty. My thoughts are with the Mindich and Phoenix families.”

Our thoughts go out to the Mindich family, as well.

Disclosure: The author of this post served as Phoenix music editor from 2010 to 2013. Featured image courtesy of Carly Carioli.