THE man who epitomised a hero to his son, gave generously to his customers, treated his staff with utmost respect and loved his wife and extended family dearly has been farewelled in Toowoomba.

Hundreds bid a respectful farewell to Joseph Anthony Hanna, or Joe, at St Patrick's Cathedral this morning, remembering the man known for his generosity and commitment to family, friends and community.

Born January 18, 1939, in Lebanon, Mr Hanna sailed to Australia on the last ship through the Suez Canal before the outbreak of World War II, landing in Sydney with his parents.

Highly regarded for his business style, Mr Hanna's son Robert shared perhaps the lesser known stories of his life.

In 1993, he ran a rigorous but ultimately unsuccessful campaign as the National Party candidate for Groom.

He was a finalist as Queensland Businessman of the Year.

"He was narrowly edged out on this occasion by the infamous Christopher Skase," Mr Hanna Jr said, to ripples of laughter.

Mr Hanna built schools in Nepal, donated $250,000 worth of clothing to Bosnian refugees, was a keen Broncos supporter, and always supported community groups.

He mentored his only son as he started his building business, and it was Mr Hanna's family which always held his heart.

"On one particular occasion, dad's sister Elizabeth was living in Lebanon in the late 80s with three young boys when the war in the Middle East escalated," Mr Hanna Jr said.

"With imminent danger, dad went to rescue his sister from war-torn countries; he drove through Syria, driving his way through roadblocks in Damascus, and sneaking under radar lines under the cover of darkness until he succeeded in bringing her home to Australia.

He married the love of his life Judy in March 1970 and shared a lifetime of happiness, most recently spent in retirement in Goondiwindi.

"My father was the epitome of what a hero should be; I was just lucky enough to call him dad," Mr Hanna said.