Former Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Allan Willett, has lost his long battle against ill health.

The ex-company boss, who donated £4m to charities, died at his Chilham home on Saturday, at the age of 78.

Born in India of tea planter parents from Kent, Allan Willett returned with them at the age of two and was brought up on Thanet farms during World War II.

Although the family was bombed out of one farm and flooded out of the second, he formed an enduring love of what he called the Frontline County.

He played rugby for Kent as a schoolboy, was commissioned into the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) and served with the King’s African Rifles fighting the Mau Mau in Kenya.

After working as a salesman in Canada he moved into the packaging industry and eventually formed his own company on a shoestring.

His entrepreneurial flair enabled him to grow it into Willett International Limited, one of the world’s largest electronic coding and information labelling companies.

It had operating subsidiaries in 30 countries, twice won The Queen’s Award for export – and for his achievements Allan Willett was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1997.

Sale of the company in 2002 enabled him to launch his charitable foundation, benefiting mainly Kent causes with donations of some £4 million.

As well as running his own company, Allan Willett devoted many years to public sector service, serving as Director of East Kent Enterprise Agency, Locate in Kent and as Chairman of East Kent Initiative and Forum.

In the early ’90s the Government invited him to become founding chairman of the Industrial development Board for London and the South East.

Then in 1998 he was asked to establish the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), promoting sustainable wealth creation, re-generation and social inclusion in a region with a population of eight million people and a £150billion economy.

He stepped down as chairman in December 2002 following his appointment as Lord Lieutenant of Kent.

Speaking after the announcement, his successor as Her Majesty The Queen’s representative in the County, Viscount De L'Isle MBE, said: “I know that all members of the Lieutenancy, past and present, will join me in paying tribute to a great Son of Kent who will be much missed.

"He will be remembered not only as a gifted business entrepreneur and inspirational public sector leader, but as a generous philanthropist and moderniser of the Kent Lieutenancy.”

Lord De L'Isle said Allan Willett carried out hundreds of engagements throughout the county, and said he would be especially remembered for the highly successful campaigns he inspired: calling for greater public support for the Forces of the Crown and their families; celebrating youth achievement, and promoting volunteering in the community.

As Lord Lieutenant he was President or Patron of a score of Kent organisations and voluntary bodies from the Men of Kent and Kentish Men to the Royal British Legion, and was appointed a Knight of Justice in the Order of St John.

He chaired Canterbury Cathedral Trust at the launch of its current fund-raising campaign and was himself a major donor.

On his retirement as Lord Lieutenant he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), an honour that is in the personal gift of Her Majesty The Queen.

He was also presented with the Kent Invicta Award for his exceptional service to Kent.

In recent years he was dogged by serious ill health, but whenever possible continued to serve the county he loved.