People who didn’t know Simon might, and sometimes did, call him cynical or even a sceptic – he wasn’t, he was utterly honest. It’s what made him the best economist that Gods own county will ever know.

I recall once at a Yorkshire Forward Board a discussion going rather round the houses about the potential of a Global financial crash, eventually Simon was asked what he thought. Gordon Brown was bringing together world leaders to avert disaster and every economic agency wanted to understand why we were in this position. Simon paused and said, “crap lending”. Books and thesis have been written since, but if two words could describe what had happened – then they were the perfect two. He was obviously urged to explain further, which he did, with the simplicity only a great intellect can.

His self–effacing humour and dark wit often hid the talent and brain but those who knew him could not only rely on him to point out the elephant in the room, but also eloquently write about it and do so with integrity and honesty. This honesty could on occasions take your breath away. I recall when talking about a remote colleague who neither of us liked particularly, but probably more importantly didn’t really respect, I asked what his wife was like as Simon had met her, and I hadn’t. He said, with a typical poker face and a deliberate pause, “she has long nose hair - should do something about that”. If you ever saw anyone fall off a chair in Starbucks in Leeds because they were laughing too much to stay upright – it would’ve been me. I did point out that’s not what I’d meant, but that was, he claimed, all he knew.

If this suggests for one moment that Simon wasn’t kind, let me disabuse you. On the first day we met before starting work together, I confessed to hating giving presentations, so he did all presentations for me for at least 3 years. We did, in fact, make a deal so I was lumbered with all his ‘pointless bureaucracy’ which I did for him with pleasure. Little did I know when we made that deal that he could sell ice cubes to Eskimos in a presentation, and many is the time I stood in awe as he charmed an audience. None more so than in the early days of Yorkshire Forward and we were all sent to the far corners of this huge and beautiful county to sell our wares, sometimes to a fairly hostile audience. Not that Simon always made the task easy for himself. On a cold and very wet night in North Yorkshire, he was sent to convert a bunch of typically taciturn Yorkshire farmers, upon arrival he was met with line of hanging game birds, recoiling at the sight, Simon opened with a comment about how they might bring their washing in. He still charmed them . . . eventually.    

I never really empathised with his need for sporting challenge, I think I understood it given his roots, but he could recount tales of climbing, cycling on mountains and completing feats that would have most of us quivering with fear. He wasn’t fearless, but he was brave and loved the sense of achievement – in the moment. The nearest he got to that at work was pulling off the impossible task in an impossible timescale. He loved it and we envied him for his ability to do it.

His greatest challenges would never have been possible without the home Sarah created for and with him, this was his launch pad for life, and he needed her, and his home more than he would ever share with anyone. Along with Elinor and Amy– of whom he was so proud that he positively sparkled when talking about them. The only time he’s ever come close to bragging. In days gone by, he sometimes complained about the cats I’ll admit, but they were the only members of his family who he didn’t utterly adore.

Self-deprecating, honest, kind, intelligent and very funny – Simon didn’t suffer fools, had a knack for stating the truth and a disregard for absurd sensitivities or plain nonsense. This made him a great colleague but an even better friend. His advice, warmth and integrity made him one in a million. He was there for so many of us in dark, or confusing or tricky times, listening, talking sense and helping unravel a conundrum or two. I can’t believe he won’t be.

We’ll miss his company, his twinkle, his wit and among a crowd of often self-serving and self-aggrandising men – he was the prince. The real star, who despite his protestations to the contrary, made a difference to the good people of Leeds and of Yorkshire, and most of all to all those who served with him and knew him and loved him. Simon has been taken away from us too soon, he deserved his retirement, he deserved years away from work to share his time with family and his friends – taking up new challenges. I’m cross about that – I guess we all are. But when we remember him – we will remember the fun, the naughtiness and the understated intellect he brought to us all – which is irreplaceably – Simon Foy. May he rest in peace.