Grant Shapps has paid tribute to his “upbeat and optimistic” father, Tony, who died on Sunday aged 91.

Posting to X/Twitter Monday morning, the newly appointed Defence Secretary said he had endured a “tough few days saying goodbye to my dad”. Shapps, who is Jewish, said of his father: “At 91, he remained as upbeat and optimistic as ever right until the end.

He will be hugely missed by me, our entire family, and all who knew him. May his memory be a blessing.”

A tough few days saying goodbye to my dad, who passed away Sunday evening. At 91, he remained as upbeat and optimistic as ever right until the end. He will be hugely missed by me, our entire family, and all who knew him. May his memory be a blessing.

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 11, 2023

Nadhim Zahawi, former chairman of the Conservative Party, was among the first to offer his condolences to the cabinet minister.

Zahawi said: “I am so sorry my friend. Thoughts and prayers for you and your whole family. May he rest in eternal peace.”

Former JC editor Stephen Pollard said he had “wonderful memories” of Tony, who ran Pinner shul’s Cub Scouts, group, in Harrow, northwest London, 9th Pinner Scouts.

“I was the least ‘scouty’ child imaginable,” Pollard said, “but he always looked out for me and made sure I was having fun. May his memory be a blessing.”

Tony also ran table tennis sessions at the Northwood Hub, part of Northwood Synagogue, which was established in 2016 to provide a variety of activities and classes for the local Jewish and non-Jewish communities.

Alan Moss, chair of Northwood United Synagogue, said: "Tony was a much loved member of our community who will be sadly missed and even after his illness he still managed to attend our events with Beryl as recently as the community tea in the Shul garden to welcome our new Rabbi and Rebbetzin in June.

"He also attended our monthly teas up until July. And only a short time ago had a celebration Kiddush in the shul which all of the family attended for his special birthday.

"Over many years through his love of table tennis and his relationship with the U3A he ran table tennis session in the shul for members of the community and the U3A, when we did not have any tables he managed to secure 3 for the community so that we could hold these sessions."

After being appointed as defence secretary by Rishi Sunak, Shapps opened up about his family history, detailing how his ancestors fled persecution in Eastern Europe to find a “safe haven” in Britain.

Insisting in the Mail on Sunday that his new brief was a responsibility that he “won’t bear lightly”, he said: “Though I might be new to defence, defence is in the DNA”.

This is not, he said, “because my Uncle Solly Shapps – who called me ‘old blue eyes’ when I was too young to have heard of Frank Sinatra – fought in North Africa. Nor is it because my grandpa Morris Grossman told me about his battles in that distant desert theatre.”

Rather, Shapps wrote, “it is because at the end of the 19th Century, my family fleeing persecution and pogroms in Eastern Europe sought safe haven.”

He continued: “They found it here in Great Britain. They found it here in a country that for the past three generations gave them opportunities that they could never have dreamt of.

“They found it here in the nation that gave them the gift of freedom."

Tony is survived by his wife Beryl, daughter Marla, and sons Grant and Andre.