13 graduate as funeral directors
19 September 2014
Thirteen people have graduated as funeral directors from the WelTec Funeral Services course.
They were presented with the NZ Diploma in Funeral Directing (Level 5) at a ceremony in Wellington on Wednesday night.
Funeral Directors Association Chief Executive Katrina Shanks congratulated them and said they would be welcomed into an
industry that encourages and sponsors staff to attain the highest possible qualifications.
Some 11 of the 13 graduands work in funeral homes that are members of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand.
“All of our funeral homes are required have to have a qualified funeral director,” Mrs Shanks says.
“This ensures that the care our families receive is of the highest possible standard, and families can rely on that.
“These new funeral directors have been working in the industry to gain experience and now have gone on to become fully
qualified with the support of their employers.
“The Funeral Directors Association believes that the continuity of care for people who have passed away is important and
the delivery of this care must be by a caring professional.”
The graduands are:
Nick Bakulich, Greysons Funeral Services, Auckland; Anne Fitzsimmons, Lamb & Hayward, Christchurch; Arron Gray, Fountain Funeral Services, Auckland; John Gwillim, Morris & Morris, Whangarei; Tom Harbott, Evans Funeral Services, Gisborne; Alastair Hebberd, Geoffrey T Sowman, Blenheim; Steven
Hopgood, Rosetown Funerals, Te Awamutu; Leanne Little, Forrest Funeral Services East Coast Bays, Auckland; Dean Maxted,
H Morris, Auckland; Huhana Reihana Waatea Funeral Services, Auckland; Jason Taane, Davis Funeral Services, Auckland;
Dean Taylor, Dil's Funeral Services, Auckland; Shelley Wilson, Aoraki Funeral Home, Timaru.
ENDS