A former journalist who became the editor and proprietor of a family-owned weekly has died aged 89.

Roger Parlby, left, joined the Newark Advertiser after leaving college in 1941 and succeeded his father, Cyril Parlby, as editor in 1967.

Despite having handed over the day-to-day management of the Nottinghamshire title to his elder daughter, Joanna, Roger remained its chairman and editor-in-chief.

Roger, who received an MBE from the Queen in 2005 for services to the newspaper industry, died in Lincoln County Hospital on Sunday after a short illness.

After joining the Advertiser he worked on the newsdesk for two years before seeing active service in the Far East during the Second World War.

While stationed in Burma and Sumatra he had the Advertiser sent out to him, but as it took many weeks to arrive, he came up with the idea to print a selection of news on the inside of an airmail letter, leaving space on the back for relatives to write their own message.

The idea took off and eventually 700 copies of what became known as the ‘Indian Miniature Edition’ were printed each week.

After the war Mr Parlby worked as a sub-editor on the Derby Evening Telegraph before returning to the Advertiser, editing the paper between 1967 and 1984 when he became editor-in-chief.

The year after Roger became editor the Advertiser became the first paper in the country to invest in a web-offset printing press to ensure better picture reproduction.

It also made colour printing possible and the Advertiser carried full colour in 1968 before most of the national newspapers.

Roger met his wife Cynthia in 1951 when he reviewed Yeomen of the Guard at the Palace Theatre where she was playing the leading lady role of Elsie Maynard. They were married in Newark Parish Church a year later.

For 45 years she wrote the children’s page as Aunt Isobel, a job she was still doing when she died in 1999.

Roger was appointed MBE in the 2005 New Year Honours List for services to the newspaper industry and was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive the award from the Queen.

In the same year he published his memoirs entitled, Moments as Big as Years, which he dedicated to his grandson William Parlby Neale, who later died tragically aged 15 in November 2013.

Joanna, now managing director of the Advertiser, said: “I speak with pride when I say that not many can say their father has played an active part in newspapers for 70 years and that his service to the industry was recognised when he was appointed MBE in 2005.

“My father was a family man, generous of spirit and had a dry sense of humour that will be remembered by many.

“He was one of Newark’s great characters and with him goes a little part of the town’s history.

“As my father followed in his father’s footsteps, so will I, and will be extremely proud to represent the Advertiser’s fourth generation.”