The great and good of Kent packed out Canterbury Cathedral today to remember the “extraordinary life” of former Lord Lieutenant Allan Willett.

Royal representatives, business bosses and councillors including Kent County Council leader Paul Carter headed to the city for the service of thanksgiving.

Ex-company boss Mr Willett, who donated £4m to charities, died at his Chilham home in July, at the age of 78.

The Dean of Canterbury The Very Rev Robert Willis paid tribute to Mr Willett, who was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Kent in 2002 to serve as the Queen’s representative in the county.

He told the service: “He always had a massive excitement and heart-warming pride in the whole of Kent and its two great cathedrals.

“He helped me always be aware of the responsibility I had.

“He was a realist and in 2002 all that he had got through life was put at our disposal, and not just financial resources which were lavished on our county of Kent in various ways.”

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

As an entrepreneur, he founded Willett International Ltd, which became one of the world’s largest electronic coding and information labelling companies.

In the public sector, he was the founding chairman of first the Industrial Development Board for London and then the South East England Development Agency.

The sale of Willett International enabled him to create a charitable foundation which has donated £4 million to mainly Kentish causes, including more than £2m for Canterbury Cathedral and substantial grants to both the Turner Contemporary in Margate and the new Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.

The Dean added: “He would be there as the one who would strengthen your arm.

“In difficult times when you know you had done your best, he was there for you with a timely phone call just at the time you thought things were very dark indeed.”

Mr Willet’s daughter Kate McCorquodale paid tribute to her father, who died after a long illness.

She said: “One of my earliest memories was sitting on his lap with dad shouting at the telly watching rugby.

“He really loved the game of rugby and he would have really loved to have been watching this year’s world cup.

“Throughout his life and especially during the long illness he was extremely courageous and never self-pitying about his hardship.

“I am extremely thankful for my dad’s life. He lived an extraordinary life and certainly lived it his way.”