death WORKS NZ

29/08/2025

Life is a complete circle 🤍

19/08/2025

It's not often I get to officiate a service for someone I have met, but I was thrilled to help guide Kate's family with her farewell.

Kate was a remarkable young lady, with a big heart touching so many lives, and she helped change the future for people she'd never even met.

Kate, alongside her mum started the New Zealand branch of the charity Days for Girls International a global charity creating access to menstrual care and education.

DfG provide reusable, sustainable hygiene kits and deliver health education so girls and women don’t have to miss school, work, or community life because of their period.

What a legacy! Kate will live on through the improved lives of others.

I'm sharing Kate's story with her family permission. 🙏

Photo credit: Livestreamfunerals.co.nz

14/08/2025

Today, I officiated a service in this peaceful little chapel - it's a perfect picturesque Palmy setting.

I mean, I'm sure any golfer would absolutely love it! Orlando Country 🏌️

07/08/2025

Kaitiakitanga ⚰️

07/08/2025

Great question! How are your "Eulogy Virtues"?

07/08/2025

"Don't die nervous" Mathew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey once said:

“I carry a note in my wallet that says: ‘Don’t die nervous.’ It’s a constant reminder that life isn’t worth living in fear or anxiety. I’ve learned that the real challenge isn’t avoiding death, but learning to relax, to let go of control, and to live each moment with authenticity and peace. In the end, what matters is how we enjoy the journey—not how tightly we cling to it.”

In today’s fast-paced and pressure-filled world, McConaughey offers us a powerful life philosophy: the strength of calm in the midst of chaos. His note is more than a phrase—it’s an invitation to live free of paralyzing fears and to embrace impermanence with grace.

He teaches us that to relax is not to give up, but to accept life in its natural flow. His message is a gentle balm for anyone searching for meaning in uncertainty. And it reminds us that serenity might just be the most precious gift we can give ourselves. 💛

29/07/2025

Want to get your ducks in a row? 'Dying Matters Week' is the first week of September, and offers a wealth of death related knowledge. Don't leave those duckies treading water! 🦆

https://www.facebook.com/share/14FMvcPCWNC/those

Send a message to learn more

28/07/2025

As a funeral celebrant, I hear about the marvellous mahi Arohanui Hospice does often. 🙌

Hospice strongly focuses on the 'te whare tapa whā' model, and they offer services you may be unaware of. This article is a beautiful example of hospice care, and how they're able to support you, and your whānau with what is important.♥️

“All the better for seeing you.” That’s how Michelle MacGregor would answer, when anyone asked how she was. And that’s a testament to her spirit and courage and

26/07/2025

Recently, I have officiated several farewells for people with less than ordinary life stories, and this story is being told with family permission.

Colin was a kind, gentle man who had so many talents and interests. At the age of 17, he saw a UFO at close range, and as a result, spent his life researching the phenomenon. As a Mechanical Engineer, he created several scale working UFO models (left) to prove the validity of the Ancient Astronaut Theory. This being, the intricate carvings on Lord Pakal’s (d 683 CE) tombstone lid (right) buried deep in a temple in the jungle of Chiapas, Mexico, are of a man reclining in what looked like a spacecraft, hands at controls, feet on pedals, flames beneath.

Appropriately, I finished his service saying “Beam me up!”