A DOTING father’s life was “just coming together” when he died during an epileptic fit, his family said.

The parents of Tom Roy paid tribute after their son’s inquest found that he died suffering a seizure at the home he was sharing with friends on Portland.

“He was saying how good his life was and was getting things sorted out with seeing his daughter and had a job he enjoyed so everything was on the way up,” his mum Tracy Roy said.

Mrs Roy and Tom’s stepdad Cameron – whom he called dad – said the 22-year-old had spent the day with his three-year-old daughter Hope the day before he tragically died in bed.

Mrs Roy, aged 45, of Hambro Road, said: “He was such a doting daddy,”

“Hope says her daddy is up with the stars but asks ‘why won’t he come and visit me?’.

“And she gets cross with the doctors for not being able to fix him.”

The family is holding a fundraiser tonight at the North Portland Working Men’s Club to provide anti-suffocation pillows for epilepsy sufferers.

The former Royal Manor and Weymouth College student suffered from epilepsy from the age of three and it dashed his dream of joining the army.

Mrs Roy said: “But he was finally doing things he always wanted to do and thought life was just coming together for him.

“Somebody had given him a chance with the job and he lapped it up.

“He loved it.”

He had been a groundsman at Littlesea Holiday Park for two months when his new housemates Kay Prudames and Gareth Davies found him dead at their house in Channel View Road.

Tom’s parents were called and they thought he had suffered a seizure but Cameron ran up the stairs ahead of his wife after seeing his friends crying outside.

Tracey said: “I got to the top of the stairs and Cameron shouted ‘go down’ and would not let me past.

“All I could see was Tom’s legs. That was it.”

Mr Roy, 46, was expecting to hear from Tom on the day he died as it was Father’s Day.

“He would come through the door and say ‘all right old man’ with his leather jacket and his bandana on.”

“He was really highly thought of by a lot of people and he always put others first.”

Tom also leaves behind his sisters Pamela and Emily and brothers Daniel and Gavin.

His nan Sue Palmer, 66, added: “He was very caring.”

Hope’s mum Diana Vogen, who Tom was separated from, will be supporting the free fundraiser which is at 7.30pm tonight.

Cameron is having his body waxed and there will be live music and the Trannioke karaoke to entertain visitors.

Money raised will go to Epilepsy Sucks UK to pay for the £45 anti-suffocation pillows to be sent to sufferers.

Inquest rules death by natural causes

The inquest into Tom Roy’s death found that he choked on his own vomit during a seizure.

West Dorset Deputy Coroner Alan Horne gave the primary cause of death on June 19 as aspiration – the breathing in – of vomit and the secondary cause as an epilepsy seizure. The verdict was natural causes.

Mr Horne said: “It’s tragic with someone so young. He had just started a new job and for him to die in circumstances like this I have the greatest sympathy.”

The inquest heard how the 22-year-old was found dead at home in Channel View Road on June 19 this year.

Mr Horne said: “I’ve heard evidence that Tom suffered from seizures for many years and by June 2011 he was suffering around seven per week.”

The coroner said housemates Gareth Davies and Kay Prudames called an ambulance when they found him face down in bed and could not wake him at 5.15pm.

Mr Horne said: “Gareth turned him over and tried to wake him but could not do so.”