The local printing and publishing industry lost a well-known and highly-respected individual last week following the passing of Colin Brown.

He started a six-year apprenticeship in the busy composing room of the former Times office in Athol Street, Douglas, in 1955, later studying at the Liverpool College of Printing and Art in Hope Street, Merseyside.

Colin became production manager when the Isle of Man Weekly Times titles amalgamated with the Isle of Man Examiner in Hill Street in the early 1970s and later became managing director when Herbert Quayle retired.

In 1979 he left the newspaper industry to establish a new general printing company, Print Centres Ltd, along with his brother Nick, Kevin Clarke and financial backer Stewart Jamieson.

The company quickly became one of the largest print houses in the island and was based in Spring Valley Industrial Estate. It continued to expand after it was sold to Cresta Holdings PLC in 1986. Colin was also on the board of directors of that company, alongside Brian O’Connor and Tony Thompson.

The company changed its name to Mannin Media Group Ltd, when Colin, Nick and Kevin, accompanied by Robin Mackenzie and Mannin Industries bought the company back from Cresta Holdings in the early 1990s. Mannin Industries shares in the company were then purchased and ownership of Mannin was held by Colin, Nick, Robin Mackenzie and accountant Charles Fargher.

They built Media House in Tromode and production moved from Spring Valley to their purpose built premises in 2002.

Colin also retired in 2002 and his son Steven, who had joined the company as an apprentice in 1984, took over as managing director, while Colin remained as a non-executive director of the company.

In 2007, Mannin was subject to a management buy-out headed by Steven, and then more recently it was bought by the Bradley Group, which has printing interests in Liverpool and Belfast.

Colin Brown was a past chairman of Laxey Flour Mills, having joined the board of directors in the 1990s.

He played football for both Laxey and Douglas High School Old Boys in his youth, but later golf was his focus and he captained Peel GC in 2002.

Born in the Jane Crookall in Douglas to Manx parents in 1940, the family initially spent some time in Blackpool but moved back to the island when Colin was still an infant, settling back in Laxey, where many of the Brown family resided.

Colin married Gwynneth Cregeen in 1961 and they have three daughters, Tracey, Gwynneth Jr and Sarah, in addition to son Steven, along with nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Gwynneth and Colin spent their winter months in Florida for a number of years, but also loved cruising, they enjoyed many together and with their friends and family.

Colin struggled through the latter half of 2017, finding it increasingly difficult to walk. His health deteriorated and eventually he was hospitalised in early November. He spent three weeks in Noble’s ITU and sadly passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 6, with all of his immediate family present.