Miles, who had motor neurone disease, died on 17 December.

Nicknamed ‘Smiler’, he was a larger than life character with many friends in the industry. In a PrintWeek Q&A last summer he quipped that his greatest ambition was “to live long enough to see the end of the DFS Sale.”

Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert said it was a “very sad loss”.

“Steve was a close friend and colleague to many of us, and we will all miss him terribly. He lived life to the full and never once felt sorry for himself. He carried on working until only two weeks ago and, in his own words, his message was ‘don’t make a fuss!’.”

Miles had worked in the industry for 42 years. He began his print career aged 16, when he landed his first sales role at Norton Opax.

He subsequently took on a number of customer service and business development roles, and became sales director at Watmoughs after it acquired Norton Opax in the late 1980s.

After the 1998 merger of BPC and Watmoughs that formed Polestar he became commercial director, news and consumer. He subsequently held a number of related positions at the group, and was gravure sales director at the time of his death.

Long-term customer John Brewis, managing director of Trinity Mirror Printing, paid tribute. He said: “When you are doing a multi-million pound deal, which requires time-sensitive product to be delivered week in, week out, you need to trust the person you are shaking hands with. Steve gave me that trust and it makes me very sad to think that I won't be able to shake his hand again.

“Of course, shaking hands became an issue in the end and I think there is a danger that Steve will be remembered for how bravely he fought his illness in the last few years. While beyond admirable, this was only part of Steve, perhaps a demonstration of his tenacious approach, but – for me – not the thing which should define him. Some sales people might have a formula for building relationships. I don't think Steve had a formula. He was an extremely successful salesman for one reason – he was Steve. Because he was Steve people liked and trusted him,” Brewis added.

Miles is survived by his wife Pauline, their two daughters, and two grandsons.

His funeral will take place at 1pm on Tuesday 30 December at Cheltenham Crematorium, with a wake afterwards at Northwick Hotel in Evesham.

Family flowers only. Donations in Steve’s memory can be made via Merstow Green Funeral Home (www.merstowgreen.co.uk) and will be split between the Motor Neurone Disease Association and St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester.