Ron Rogers, an influential figure in both the public relations business and L.A. civic affairs, died Friday from respiratory complications related to cancer. He was 72.

The son of Hollywood PR giant Henry Rogers, co-founder of Rogers & Cowan, he made his own mark in the industry, reported the Los Angeles Times.

He founded The Rogers Group in 1978 and built it into a nationally prominent firm that handled campaigns for Coca-Cola, Honda and Kellogg’s. The Business Journal was once a client.

In 2011, Ruder Finn acquired The Rogers Group and merged the agency with Ruder Finn’s west coast operations to form Rogers Ruder Finn. Rogers assumed the role of president while serving as strategic counsel to Ruder Finn nationwide.

Rogers also played key roles in civic life as a board member of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce and the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital. He also helped launch the Los Angeles Police Foundation, as well as the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

Rogers died at his family’s 1,500-acre cattle ranch in Colorado.