Prior to joining Olwen as its founding production director, Poncia worked at The Computing Group before joining Chapman Envelopes to set up The Right Stuff Mailing House in 1988.

However, from 1989 he was production director at Olwen Mailing Services.

He left Olwen in the mid 1990s, taking on a number of senior roles in the industry before joining Carlson Marketing Group as supplier manager, where he worked until 2010, after which he worked as an independent consultant until his recent retirement.

Poncia died on 19 April and is survived by his wife Pauline and sons James and Richard.

“He was a great guy and an incredibly positive person – if he said something was going to happen, you knew it would happen. Olwen was known for its ‘can-do’ attitude and a lot of that was down to Kevin,” said Andy Ruddle, director of Advantage Production Services who was Olwen sales director during Poncia’s tenure at the firm.

A civil funeral service is taking place on Friday 9 May at 11.30am at the chapel building at Stamford Cemetery, which will followed by the burial at Ketton Park Green Burial site.  After the funeral, friends and former colleagues are welcome to join the family at the Ye Olde Bertie Arms in Uffington, Stamford for refreshments.

Flowers are family only, but donations to Cancer Research UK in memory of Poncia are welcome.