FRED Banff will forever be cherished as a family man and a gentleman with a strong community spirit and desire to help neighbours.

Frederick William Banff was born in Clinton at Coominya in 1931 and grew up with five sisters and one brother. His father died in 1941.

He went to school at Atkinson Lagoon until it shut for the Second World War and then Coominya School.

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He achieved a scholarship to attend Ipswich Grammar School and completed a Diploma in Horticulture at Gatton College. His first work was for Department of Agriculture at Glenn Innes, and then taught at Hawkesbury Agricultural College.

Before returning home to Clinton in 1954 to take over running the property after the passing of his uncle, he married the love of his life Neredah in 1959 and then they had three children Greg, Jane and Marg.

He loved his family. He also had a fascination for genetics and used this for breeding his Droughtmaster cattle of which he was justifiably proud.

He also enjoyed watching football and cricket but is best-known for his work on many groups to improve his area. They included:

President of Coominya State School P&C for some years.

Inaugural president of Lowood Kindergarten Association.

Secretary of Coominya Campdraft Society for many years.

Chaired the move to save the Bellevue Pub when the liquor licence was to be sold.

Chaired the relocating of the Bellevue homestead to Coominya when the Wivenhoe Dam was to be built.

Member of Atkinson Lagoon Ecological Society for some years.

Setting up and running the Grape and Watermelon Festival while president of Coominya State School P& C.

Initiator of the establishment of town murals to depict the history of Coominya which led to the establishment of the Coominya and District Historical Society.

Worked hard as a member of the Coominya Hall Committee.

Member of Coominya state school bus committee.

It was in this capacity that he was able to help his neighbours some years ago when his friend passed away leaving the family bus business without a future.

Fred took the 18-year-old son with him to Parliament House and got a ministerial exemption that would allow the business to survive within their family.

Normally he would need to be 21 to be able to convey passengers.

Fred Banff is survived by his wife and three children and nine grandchildren.

Family and friends gathered for a celebration of Fred's life in the St James Anglican Church in Lowood.