Born in Rugby in 1933 Jolly entered the print industry in the 1950’s when he inherited his parents' commercial printing and box making firm, Jolly and Barber.
Over 40 years he oversaw the company’s transition into a renowned, high quality book printer, becoming the first to install a Monotype filmsetter at the plant in Rugby.
A major coup came in 1968 when Jolly won the contract to print George Rainbird’s 200pp Dictionary of Garden Plants, which went on to become an international bestseller.
In the early 70’s Jolly installed a large format Manroland Ultra four-colour press and Jolly took on the BBC as one of his major clients, printing popular publications such as its Blue Peter annuals.
Jolly's love of the printed word extended outside of the workplace and in 1980 he sat as chairman for printers' appreciation society Wynkyn de Worde of which he was a long time member.
Developing an interest in book design and packaging, Jolly set up an editorial branch which would evolve to produce high quality catalogue projects for museum exhibitions and prestigious publications such as Faber and Faber’s Boughton House. The English Versailles, which he photographed, typeset, designed and edited in 1992.
The £100 book turned out to be Jolly’s swan song from the print industry as he sold the company and went on to co-found publishing house Pilkington Press in 1994, with Brian Pilkington.
Jolly died on 5 December after a short stay in hospital.
He is survived by his wife Anne, two sons and a daughter.
