Mr Herring, a member of the RFS mitigation team, was just 32 when he succumbed to a rare form of cancer in June after being diagnosed a year ago.

Marc’s father David Herring, a mason, was so moved by the large contingent of Rural Fire Service volunteers and staff at his son’s funeral, he and Coeur de Lion Narooma Masonic Lodge secretary Allan Brown decided to donate $5000 from the Masonic Lodge Secretary’s Association and the Sutherland Shire and Bankstown Freemasons’ charity groups to the RFS.

The funds will be used to fit out the Moruya RFS catering van.

In a moving ceremony on Thursday, a cheque was presented at the Eurobodalla RFS headquarters in Moruya, as employees, volunteers, Freemasons and Marc’s widow Alison watched.

“It was a great occasion and a great tribute to Marc,” Mr Herring said. 

Eurobodalla RFS catering officer Bruce Charles said the money was a “big bonus.”

“It will make the fitting out of the van much quicker and allow us to give much better service to firefighters on the line,” he said.

“We thank them very much.”

Mr Brown would like Freemasonry and the wider community to be better known to each other.

“For many people, Freemasonry is still a mystery, and we want to open up and let the world know we are trying to do good,” he said.  

Alison Herring, Marc’s widow, said the RFS was his his passion.

“He lived and breathed it,” she said.

The couple moved from Sydney to Surf Beach early in 2011 and Marc wasted no time in signing up.

“He joined the Surf Beach brigade the day after we moved down here,” Alison said.

She said Marc had been a member of the RFS for more than a decade.

“The RFS was our extended family,” she said.

Alison said Marc would have been delighted money was going to an issue dear to this heart: food on the fire line.

“He was a good eater,” she said.

“When he was healthy, he spoke to me about wanting to help get a catering van properly set up.

“He would have been pleased and it made me feel really proud that he won’t be forgotten.”

She remembers a kind, generous man, always willing to help anyone in need.

“He had such a good heart,” she said.

“He was always the first to offer help to anyone.”