The best way I can sum up Simon is in Sarah’s words: “Simon was always authentic and showed us all what it means to be true to yourself and your values.” For me, this was true from the first day I met him to the last.

Those first days were memorable. It was Summer 99 and we were a small team literally working out of an overheated kitchen in a building on Wellington Street in Leeds. Our job was to take Yorkshire forward by bringing together BMW-driving surveyors, civil servants, genteel rural developers and young business support staff. Our team was a mish mash of secondees - imagine if the Magnificent Seven was a Carry On film rather than a western.

Simon’s job was to produce the first ever Regional Economic Strategy with the scarcest of resources. He was our strategic brain and we’d just recruited Ruth Redfern to navigate the varied politics of Yorkshire. Simon and Ruth at first took it in turns to persuade the other not to resign. But they made a brilliant, complementary team who were the architects of the “new” bit of the agency, which became its driving force for Martin the Chief Executive who’s here today and Sir Graham Hall the Chair.

Simon oversaw a great Strategy and built a great team. His intellect and grasp of data were second to none and that’s why he had such influence. There was no doubt that he was from the Mike Campbell stable, with a knack of making the complex understandable to a range of people, always with a smile and sense of humour. That combination of intelligence and the human touch made him our compass - our North Star. He kept us on the right path. And he always did the right thing.

This continued into his work at the council, where he had to deal with a different organisation - politically led and fifteen thousand colleagues. But he exerted as much influence on what we did. He built as good a team. And he did it in the same unassuming, insightful and professional way. His partnership building skills were amazing, cutting through red tape and getting to the heart of the matter.

It’s testament to Simon that we have here today the three Leeds City Council Leaders of the last twelve years - Keith Wakefield, Baroness Blake and Cllr James Lewis. He helped those Labour Leaders keep our focus on inequality and the reality of what the data was telling us.

I thought I could do strategy before I met Simon. I can’t tell you the number of times we had the conversation where I’d say Simon, I want to say this about Yorkshire or Leeds. “It doesn’t really stack up.” That frown. “Let me have a look for you.” Of course, he’d always come back with something much better than I’d been able to dream up, with the advantage that it was based on fact. Never mind his legacy for Leeds and Yorkshire, his impact on people was what really mattered to him. He was a compassionate and inspirational manager, and it’s clear from the messages on Much Loved and Facebook how much so many of us have to thank him for.

For being a brilliant human being – generous, warm, welcoming, funny, spirited, collaborative and always interesting.

For his caring and kindness. I’ve heard loads of stories about how he helped people who worked with him through ill health, or personal tragedy. They will be forever grateful for how he helped them at the worst times of their lives. His ability to put people at ease regardless of status with humour and self deprecation was also magic.

His colleagues would want to thank him for always believing in them, valuing them and giving so much positive feedback and support and freedom to do things – sometimes when people really needed a confidence boost. And there’s a knock on effect. Simon was a brilliant role model who’s helped shape the way many people manage others, and will do for years to come.

We’d also thank him for being somebody who was on the right side of the argument and stood up to the dickheads. This was not as easy as it sounds in the jobs Simon did, but he did it. Despite often saying what needed to be said, he was also universally popular. He did what was right for the team. You should’ve seen his face when asked to get some briefing together for the recent King Charles visit, but he just did it and of course it was brilliant.

Thanks also for that sense of humour, which it’s impossible to replicate. He was fantastic company in the pub and the best story teller: a real break from the battle for all of us. We’d laugh about the time he went to some godforsaken village in Yorkshire to consult on a new Strategy, parking his Fiesta next to Range Rovers whose rich, taxpayer subsidised owners would then castigate him for the lack of public services in the smallest and most remote hamlet in North Yorkshire. He’d always look more stylish than everyone else of course, including with those shiny Loakes.

He had his faults. He was born in Lancashire. Simon didn’t see eye to eye with technology. Coffee drenched laptops, his two pointy fingers typing style, essay long emails of one letter on repeat, his inability to book a meeting room in less than an hour, and upside down presentations all added to the fun of working with him. Not many faults, let’s face it.

He’d only ever spend a couple hours in the pub, always wanting to get back to see his family, usually citing the excuse of a pet emergency. To me, Simon’s family was his life’s work. His love of Sarah - his rock from which all was made possible for him, and his pride in Amy and Elinor, especially their independent spirits and interests. And of course his love of the outdoors, cycling, walking, climbing and cross country skiing. He lived such a full and fulfilling life.

So when you hear about yet another Government Minister visiting the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, or the latest announcement about offshore wind jobs in the Humber, or you’re stopping at Richmond Station for a bite to eat after the walk to Easby Abbey, or attending a gig at Leeds Arena, or talking to someone who started their career in Leeds with a helping hand into a course at a college or university, then think of Simon Foy and smile. Because he’ll have been behind it in some way. Many times in complete support, and sometimes tut-tutting to himself “I’m not sure we should’ve funded this one”.

And maybe the best time to remember Simon and smile is when you’re looking out across a beautiful view of the Yorkshire Dales or the Lakes. His real legacy wasn’t in buildings or organisations or strategies. It’s in this room and in those who can’t be here. We all know the positive impact he had on us, and we will always be grateful that we knew him, and we will never forget him.