Getting really good wool from his Merinos was something the Alma Park farmer was particularly passionate about.

His son Chris recalls his dad would often grab a handful of wool from the shearing shed and proudly declare, "It's that good you could eat it with ice-cream".

This year was the first time in 61 years that Max wasn't in the shed at shearing time.

Instead, his family took samples of wool to him in hospital where the 75-year-old spent 8 weeks battling the final stages of cancer.

Max returned home to his beloved 700-acre farm on September 27 and passed away on October 12, in the loving embrace of his family - with Carol, his wife of 55 years, and children Sandra and Chris by his side.

Those closest to him remember a friendly, generous-hearted man who lived for his family, farm and the community of Walbundrie.

From the football club and fire brigade to tennis, cricket, co-ops, building and grounds committees, the P&C and his beloved show society, there wasn't much Max Webb didn't turn his hand to help with during a lifetime in the district.

A stalwart of the Walbundrie Show, he dedicated more than 50 years of service to the show society, including 23 years as president.

That legacy now lives on through his daughter Sandra, who currently serves as secretary.

Max Webb was born on April 23, 1946 at Albury to parents Herbert and Marjorie (both deceased) and is survived by two older sisters, Esther and Julie.

He went first to school at Walbundrie and then on to St Paul's College at Walla but left at 14 to work on the family farm - and never left.

Max was to meet the love of his life through dancing.

When Carol made her debut at 16, Max was there but partnering a different girl.

"He asked me for the barn dance and I put my evening bag in his pocket and there it stayed - that was it," Carol laughs.

During their courtship, Carol worked at the ANZ bank at Albury and, along with her older sister Allayne, boarded with a Mrs Smith in Macauley Street.

The sisters would walk down to the public phone box in David Street to call their respective beaus - coincidentally both called Max - every Wednesday night.

Carol married her Max in 1966 and together they quick-stepped their way around the local balls and worked on the farm together.

Whether it was fencing, driving a tractor or baler, checking the crops, cattle or sheep, the pair was inseparable - "always a team".

Music - and ABC Radio - was to remain an integral part of their married life.

When a song came up on the radio, Max was known to say, "You could do a quick step to this" - he'd push back the kitchen table and swing Carol around in her socks on the lino floor.

Carol says they rarely fought and she is hard-pressed to recall anything that truly bugged her about her husband - "except when he left the house yard gate open".

Sandra would arrive on January 26, 1969 and Chris on June 20, 1971.

His children say their father instilled in them a work ethic and led by example on how you should treat others.

"He was lots of fun and was always interested in what we were up to and what the grandchildren were doing," Chris says.

Sandra says the only way to spend quality time with Dad was to work with him.

"I remember in primary school, Mum would pick us up and have Dad's afternoon tea in the car and we'd go and sit in the dust of the paddock together," she recalls fondly.

The lifelong ties to this land is one of the reasons the close-knit family intends to keep farming the property.

"We're having a crack at keeping it going," says Chris, who is based at Goulburn.

The family acknowledges the incredible support they've received from neighbours, friends and family to get crops in, mark lambs and finish shearing during the past two years of Max's illness.

They are indebted to Val Fawcett, a nursing colleague of Sandra's, who helped nurse Max at home until the end while she was on long service leave.

Disappointingly, current COVID-19 restrictions prevent a large gathering to celebrate the life of this extraordinary Walbundrie resident.

But on Thursday when Max is carried to his final resting place at Goombargana cemetery, a fire truck from Group 3 will lead a procession through town where the community will pay their respects with a guard of honour near the showground where he dedicated so much of his time.

"I think Max would like that - and he would appreciate it so much," Carol says.