The lifelong Quaker was president from 1965 to 1966 but started his printing career 19 years before that in 1946 when he joined his father's print firm Ebor Press, where he worked his way up to become managing director.

The year he joined the company it won a franchise for self-adhesive labels from American inventor Stan Avery. In 1979 the company went on to acquire Leicester-based label printing form Soabar.

Sessions continued to have close contact with the business, which changed its name to William Sessions, until it went into administration in 2010 a year after being put up for sale.

Sessions leaves a widow Eva, and three children Sallie, Mark and Michael. The funeral is on 13 May.