Dad was a man of few words. In fact, between all four of the family wedding speeches there was barely a couple of full stops!

We have just been through a most unusual time. We found out on June 18th, the Tuesday of Royal Ascot - rather ironically one of Dad’s favourite days of the year - that Dad had “weeks at best” left to live.

It’s pretty horrendous news to get, and it was tough for all of us. Dad didn’t flinch. Anybody who knows him will be completely unsurprised that he took the news with ease and grace and not an ounce of self-pity.

His pragmatic and realistic attitude to his situation remained until he breathed his last just after midnight on Sunday night. He was surrounded by loved ones and, most importantly for him, Mum, strong as ever, was there beside him, holding his hand.

When he went he was ready. He exited on his terms, like a king, without fear.

The most unusual thing about this time is that although it is hard, it is also a gift. And I have no doubt that it’s three weeks that we will forever be grateful for. Nothing was left unsaid.

Willie quipped the other day that you usually don’t hear any of the good things people think about you until you’re already dead. As news filtered out that he didn’t have long left, he and we received many, many messages of sympathy and tributes to him. It really gave him great comfort to hear in just how high esteem he was held.

When I called one of his great friends to tell him the bad news of Dad’s prognosis, he responded by saying ‘What a name. Nobody in any business, let alone bookmaking, has a name like your Dad. I’ve never heard a bad word said about him ’.

The messages he received were all about his character, about his values, about the man he was.

We were reminiscing a couple of weeks ago and he smiled and said: “C’est la vie. My life is a happy story, I’ve no regrets.”

Bookmaking family

David Power was born in 1947 and was one of three kids.

The Powers were a bookmaking family. His grandfather Richard Power started out as a bookie in the 1890s and Dad’s father Paddy carried on the family business until he dropped dead of a heart attack when Dad was just 15, leaving his mother Bunty not just raising three kids alone, but also holding the family betting licence.

He went to school in St Mary’s College in Rathmines and played in the 1964 Senior Cup.

Mary’s played an important part in his life. The college chapel is where he and Mum got married in 1971. And more recently he was delighted to be able to attend his 60-year reunion and reconnect with 25 old schoolfriends - not a bad turnout for a small school!

He went to UCD, studied Commerce and became a chartered accountant.

As his dad had died so young, he worked weekends at the track to learn the business. When he qualified as an accountant he took over the reins of Richard Power Bookmakers.

A degree wasn’t the best thing to come out of UCD for Dad. It was also where he met Mum, Sabena, in 1967.

After college Mum went to America to work for the Irish tourist board but the two of them stayed in touch, exchanging regular letters. When Mum’s father, Liam, died suddenly Mum came home for his funeral and when she saw Dad there, she knew he was the one for her. They’ve been a double act ever since.

Over the following decades he built a reputation as a fearless bookmaker. He was as good a student of the racing form book as there has ever been.

There are many legendary stories of huge bets he took, but only stories of the ones that won. And those stories must have been told by the punters who placed the bets because not only would Dad never have discussed what bets he’s taken, one of the things he was most famous for was that it was impossible to know by his demeanour if he had won or lost. He was unflappable.

Paddy Power

For many Dad will be best known as one of the founders of Paddy Power. He had the vision, the conviction and the courage to make a hugely difficult decision when merging his generational family business with two other bookmakers – John Corcoran and Stewart Kenny – to create a new company which would revolutionise the industry.

The Paddy Power story is a brilliant one and has been much told in the many lovely obituaries of Dad in recent days.

As Dad describes the original deal, it was based on trust. Himself, John and Stewart put their shops in the pot and negotiated their percentage share of the new company. When none of them were happy, they knew they had a deal! I think the legal documents for the merger amounted to about one page.

Stewart was the first CEO of Paddy Power. He was in with Dad last week and the two of them take great pride in the fact that there was literally never a cross word between them. They have always had utter respect for each other.

Whenever there was a crisis in the business, Dad was always calm and focussed on solutions. And he never looked backwards.

Racehorses

Dad and Mum really were a bit jammy when it came to owning racehorses! It all started when Willie met the racehorse trainer Eddie Lynam in Lillie’s Bordello, obviously.

Eddie is one of Dad’s best friends. They’ve talked many times a week for years and every Power horse is half owned by Eddie.

The Sole Power years were the highlight. In 2010 he won the Nunthorpe in York at odds of 100/1. A fluke to everyone bar Dad who persuaded Eddie to put him in the race and fancied him himself.

Sole Power was an international champion and took Mum and Dad on great adventures around the world. Then Slade Power came along too and in 2014 both ‘Sole’ and ‘Slade’ won big races at Royal Ascot. That year the champion owner title at Royal Ascot was a tie between Sheikh Mohammed and Sabena Power!

The Sole Power years are so important in our family. It was the big days that brought us all together and that was what made Dad proudest of all - that we are a close family who have great fun together.

We were so lucky to have had one last hurrah with Dad at Leopardstown on Stephen’s Day just gone. A horse that we own together, The Folkes Tiara, won. It wasn’t the biggest race but we were all there. Most importantly the grandkids were there. There’s a fantastic video of us all cheering him home. Dad loved watching it ... and has forced most hospital visitors to watch it too!

Dad was an incredibly humble man, he was always grateful. One of the many things he loved about the racetrack is that, as he said, it was a great leveller. You wouldn’t know who you were rubbing shoulders with.

One bit of advice that he often gave was to behave in a way so that you can walk into any room at any time anywhere in the world and look every person in the eye. He’d say you’ll be amazed at how few can look back at you.

He was a values man: integrity, loyalty, generosity, humility, kindness, ambition, work ethic, discipline, courage and gratitude. It’s not a bad bunch of ingredients to create a role model. We are so lucky to have had the best.

Ten years ago Dad was in hospital. He went to sleep, his heart stopped and he was woken up with a defibrillator. I asked him recently if he was scared of death. He replied: “The last time I died it was just like a great sleep!”

Dad was a straight-up guy who has gone ‘straight up’.

A mighty oak tree has fallen. Goodbye Dad, thank you for everything.