But his greatest loves were his family and friends.

Mr Duffy, 63, was tragically killed on Thursday, March 4 after being struck by a falling limb while working on his family property, Mimosa Park, at Milton.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years Lesley and daughters Debbie, Cindy and Amanda.

Kevin spent most of his life working in the bush and was an experienced timber cutter.

A well-known Milton businessman and owner of the Star Hotel Milton, Kevin grew up in the Milton area with his siblings Dulcie (dec), Francis, John and Mary (dec) and was the youngest of Harnett and Annie Duffy’s five children.

Kevin purchased the Star Hotel Milton in 1987 and was passionate about the hotel’s restoration.

It was his dream to see the old pub renovated and restored to its former glory.

As a young man he spent time working for a number of Milton dairying families before joining his brothers Francis and John milking at Mimosa Park.

Kevin spent many years working as a bookmaker at Moruya and Queanbeyan before moving on to Nowra, Kembla Grange, Rose Hill, Wentworth Park and Randwick.

An innovator in the racing industry, Kevin created the ground breaking decimal tote system and introduced the first ever computer operated betting system.

The decimal tote displayed the dividend to be paid rather than the odds and at first was very controversial, however it is now used by all bookmakers in the country.

Kevin was also the first bookmaker to use a computerized betting system, which eliminated excessive paper work and ledger recording of bets.

His breakthrough developments changed the way people placed a bet and saw Kevin garner national recognition.

After retiring from bookmaking Kevin spent more time with his beloved grandchildren Sean, Cristina, Elijah, Amelia and Ezekiel.

Friends and family will farewell Kevin today (Wednesday) at Mollymook Surf Club at 2pm.