Good things take time and Kevin Corcoran packed plenty into his time.

The former face of Mainland Cheese died peacefully in the early hours of yesterday morning in Cromwell.

His wife, Betty, said Mr Corcoran, 78, had been unwell for the past several years and spent the past five months of his life at the Ripponburn Home and Hospital.

Kevin Corcoran and Terry Procter graced New Zealand television sets as the faces of Mainland Cheese advertisements for 10 years. The storytelling advertisements followed the pair, who became synonymous with the catchphrase, "Good things take time". They appeared in more than a dozen of the advertisements, which were discontinued in 2010.

Mrs Corcoran said she was "very proud" of the things her husband had accomplished in his life: "What hasn't he done?"

The couple moved to Central Otago 24 years ago after a farming life in Gore.

Mr Corcoran was very proud of his involvement at St Peter's College in Gore, where all of their 10 children attended.

His "great passion" was rugby and he was involved in Southland rugby, coaching and selecting, for many years. "He was an absolute lover of rugby."

Mrs Corcoran said her husband was a "Waikaka boy" and his family had owned the Waikaka hotel for more than 100 years. "We're really taking him home," she said.

He will be buried at the Waikaka cemetery. He is survived by his wife, 10 children and 16 grandchildren.