Joyful Memorials & Funerals

15/12/2025

Two weeks ago today I officiated at a funeral at Bondi Golf Club, overlooking iconic Bondi Beach.

Today my heart breaks for the lives lost at Bondi Beach yesterday and overnight.

Those of Jewish faith are usually buried quickly, but these families face a necessary wait due to crime scene investigation, coronial reporting and forthcoming holidays and religious observance.

Consider donating blood or a charity donation rather than visiting Bondi Beach at this time to lay flowers.

Stay safe. Be kind. Checkin on family, friends and neighbours, particularly those who live alone.

I will be on call as a Funeral and Memorial Celebrant throughout the Christmas-New Year period, as the needs of families never stops.

Ph 0407 304 236 Celebrant Joy

12/12/2025

An inspiring short interview - cycling the world visiting war graves

One man's journey around the world on a bicycle, visiting over 24,000 war cemeteries brings him back to far north Queensland.

19/11/2025

A strong message about su***de. Su***de is higher among males, than females - lives are shattered and the grief is enormous.

Always important to check in on family and friends and so many wonderful supportive resources available.

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10/11/2025

Create a Life Box of your final wishes and essential end of life information

Life Box is an emergency document box designed to hold pre and post death documents in one secure, accessible place that can be easily located by emergency personnel and carers.
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Alison Miller, founder of a business named Life Box Australia, was guest speaker at the October meeting of the Bairnsdale

10/11/2025

Some special touches for a much loved Grandma who loved spiders!

Family wore a beautiful assortment of spider brooches and earrings in her honour.

Big thanks to my local community for supporting me with loan of a spider stamp for family hands and spider cut outs to add to the beautiful flowers.

It is these simple gestures that can make a funeral highly personalised - plus the beautiful ceremony words!

03/11/2025

Proposal for a new cemetery in Sydney’s north west

19/10/2025

Isn’t this heart-warming? So important to have special visitors for patients and the caring team

17/10/2025

A well written funeral or death notice is one of the last caring and thoughtful takes you can do for a loved one. It should give details of birth and death dates, and immediate family. But it should also add descriptors that capture elements of their life and personality.

When I read funeral notices I sometimes wish I had known the person described with love and warmth by their next of kin.

Funeral Notices are not simply about announcing a death, but give some family history for future generations, and also to the many people whose own lives have crossed paths with the deceased.

We are never know how many lives a person has interacted with in some way, and by adding expressive descriptors, you can reach more people.

I also love that this notice includes a family contact and an RSVP - which helps with the practical arrangements like catering.

15/10/2025

When you pull into a Melbourne service station and find a hearse!

This one is from the team at - the older the car, the smaller the petrol tank apparently!

Lovely to catch to the team today!

11/10/2025

Very sad to read this news this morning - many people have been assisted by the Centre for Digestive Diseases at Five Dock.

Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues

08/10/2025

Rookwood’s lack of burial space.

Loved ones have been placed in temporary spots, with plots opening for emergencies only.

25/09/2025

Food for thought! Have a listen to this podcast



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14EjZMFn73W/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hear Sarah's interview with Bronnie Ware.

Bronnie was living alone in the country and recovering from burnout when she wrote a blog post reflecting on her eight years as a palliative carer and the epiphanies patients shared with her as they faced death.

It was read by millions and became the basis of her best-selling book, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.

The lessons Bronnie learnt from her dying patients also helped her confront some darker elements of her childhood and eventually find peace:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/bronnie-wares-top-five-regrets-of-the-dying/105797006