William Mills, former managing director of Jarrold Printing, who died suddenly, aged 61, was drawn to both a hectic corporate career and the idyll of living a life in the country.

William Mills, former managing director of Jarrold Printing, who died suddenly, aged 61, was drawn to both a hectic corporate career and the idyll of living a life in the country.

Born in Newbury, Berkshire, two days after Christmas in 1944, he spent part of his childhood in Lyng with his grandparents and later studied at Pembroke College, Oxford.

Even in childhood he carved out a reputation as a hard worker, helping to build the school gym.

His first job was with McCorquodale plc, a large printing and packaging company which saw postings in Sao Paulo and Johannesburg, where he met his future wife, Penny.

After 19 years he moved to Norfolk after becoming divisional managing Director of the Food Packaging Engineering Division of GEI International.

The next move was out of the county to Polymark International where he was chief executive.

But in December 1992 he was back in Norfolk to begin a nine-year-career as managing director of Jarrold Printing and as a director of Jarrold and Sons. This brought the family back to Norfolk to live in Bramerton.

Known for his dry sense of humour and acerbic wit, he enjoyed beekeeping and birdwatching, with a particular passion for barn owls.

At the time of his death, from a brain haemorrhage, he was still recovering from an operation to remove a cancerous kidney.

He told no one and had been hoping to get back to work.

His experience and business acumen led him to being appointed chairman or non executive director of a broad range of companies in the printing, packaging and engineering sectors.

He is survived by his wife Penny, son Edward and daughter Katherine.