Born on 14 February 1954, Dagger served for 16 years as an instrument technician in the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), where he attained the rank of staff sergeant.

He left the army to work for Scitex as a CTP engineer, at which point he moved to St Ives in Cambridgeshire, where he lived with his wife Alison and three children.

He was headhunted shortly after by Silicon Imaging, to take up the position of head engineer. After Mitsubishi bought Silicon Imaging in 2000 a new company – MCSi – was formed and Dagger retained his position as head engineer for the new enlarged workforce.

“Mike’s excellent technical knowledge and superb man management skills made him a popular man to work for, and he could always be relied on to help those around him,” said Ralph Sheridan, senior engineer at Prepress Services, who served with Dagger in the REME and later worked with him at MCSi.

In 2007 Dagger set up his own company, Qtek Graphics, where he provided engineering support services to predominantly Lotem 400/800 customers for around a decade. Ill-health forced him to retire a couple of years ago, at which point he closed the business.

“Mike had an outgoing personality and confidence that made him popular with everyone. He was always honest and reliable, and this was always appreciated by his many customers,” said Sheridan.

“To the last, Mike was a battler, refusing to let cancer restrict his lifestyle, and he was still active in the weeks before his passing.

“Mike’s death will leave a huge hole in the hearts of all those who knew him, but more so to his family. He was always a dedicated husband and father and I know we would all like to pass on our condolences to Alison and the children at this difficult time.”

Dagger's funeral will take place on Friday 21 September at Cambridge Crematorium East Chapel, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0JJ.