He passed away from cancer at his home in Queenstown yesterday, his family announced.

The businessman and philanthropist helped make New Zealand a better place and has left a behind "an enormous legacy", his family say.

Sir Eion became Acting President of the NZOC in 2001 and was elected to the role permanently two years later.

He held the position until 2009 when he was appointed as Honorary President by the NZOC.

Sir Eion was also a former President of the New Zealand Football Association.

At the time of his death, he was Honorary Patron of the New Zealand Football Foundation.

"Today is a sad day for Aotearoa [the Māori name for New Zealand]," said New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell.

"Sir Eion’s vision and support has had and will continue to have a massive impact on football and sport in this country - from proposing the idea of the New Zealand Football Foundation in 2010, to driving the development of facilities, especially in Otago."

Sir Eion was chairman of investment company Forsyth Barr until his retirement in 2019,

In 2009, he was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to education, business, and sport.

Sir Eion was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December.

Doctors advised him that chemotherapy was unlikely to help, and he was given a life expectancy of two months.

In an interview last month, Sir Eion said he wanted people to remember that he had been “able to contribute and make New Zealand a better place”.

He added: "I've always said my aim in life is for everyone to owe me a favour.

"That says it all."