WA is set to farewell decorated World War II veteran and parliamentarian Bill Grayden at a State funeral.

Mr Grayden died aged 105 on April 28 following a short illness.

Born in Perth in 1920, Mr Grayden served in the Middle East and was part of the force which defeated pro-Germany Vichy French troops in Syria.

He was sent to Papua New Guinea’s infamous Kokoda Trail before moving to Borneo, where he remained until the war ended.

In 1947 — when he was just 27-years-old — Mr Grayden was elected as the Liberal MP for Middle Swan, making him the youngest member of Parliament at the time.

He quit in 1949 for a run at federal politics, becoming a member of the Menzies Government where he campaigned to lift the ban on manganese exports.

Mr Grayden re-entered State politics in 1956, holding the seat of South Perth until his retirement in 1993.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1994, and is the longest serving member of the Parliamentary Liberal Party.

Mr Grayden married his wife Betsy in 1949 and they remained together until her death in 2007.

They had 10 children, 36 grandchildren and at least 50 great-grandchildren.

In a statement, son James Grayden described his father as an excellent role model.

“He was a doer, not a talker, and if he set his mind to a task he would see it through whatever the odds,” he said last month.

“He instilled in all of us a love of the outdoors and nature and for seeing what was around the next corner.

“His curiosity and readiness to adopt emerging technology remained with him to the end, and he was fascinated with the possibility of driverless cars giving him back the freedom he gave up when he was unable to renew his driver’s licence in his mid-90s.”

Details of the funeral will be announced at a later date.

WA Veterans Minister Paul Papalia said it was fitting to honour Mr Grayden with a State Funeral which recognised “not only his distinguished military service but his decades of contribution to Western Australia”.

“His lifelong advocacy for veterans reflects a deep and enduring commitment to those who have served,” he said.

“This will be an opportunity for the community to come together and pay tribute to a man who gave so much to his State and his nation.”

Premier Roger Cook said it would be an honour to mark Mr Grayden’s “extraordinary life”.