I am from the UK and have been employed in the funeral profession since 2001. I always knew I wanted to work in funeral service from an early age.
I started my career as an arranger. I gained a huge amount of knowledge from dealing with bereaved families and achieved a lot of satisfaction helping people at such an important time.
I enrolled on the British Institute of Embalmers course in December 2012 and obtained my Diploma in Embalming in June 2015.
I relocated to Wellington with my husband Matt and dog Gabby in April 2016.
I look forward to my new life and career with The Wilson Funeral Home.
Maz grew up in the colourful coastal city of Brighton in the UK. She and her partner made the move to New Zealand in 2018 with the intention of staying for just a year, but it was the pristine beaches, lush native forests, and the friendly, welcoming people that solidified their choice to stay.
Harnessing her caring and compassionate side, Maz spent many years looking after children and also as a support worker for adults with intellectual disabilities. She then spent time working as a dispatcher for a sustainable casket company. This gave her an insight to the funeral industry and sparked an interest in a career as a funeral director.
Maz currently lives in Wellington with her partner and 2 cats - Puk and Percy. Maz likes to stay active by playing roller derby, taiko drumming and attends the gym regularly. Her other hobbies include: Beach walks, video and board games, volunteering, practicing yoga and catching up with friends with a proper cup of tea.
Emma graduated from Massey University in 2010 with an Honours degree in Visual Communication Design, and also gained membership into the International Society of Typographic Designers. Membership is awarded to practising designers who demonstrate, through the quality of their work, their commitment to achieving the highest possible standard of visual communication.
Emma is very passionate about her design work, with technical strengths in typography and graphic design. “I strive to achieve consistently high-level results that meet requirements to the best of my ability”.
Born and raised in Taranaki, Myah has been captivated by creativity since childhood. Her journey took her to Wellington, where she pursued a four-year degree in Visual Communication Design at Massey University. During her studies, Myah discovered her passion for crafting designs tailored to specific audiences. With expertise in typography and human-centred design, she is dedicated to producing thoughtful and purposeful designs of the highest standard.
Born and bred in Wellington, Benjamin attended Tawa Intermediate, followed by Tawa College. Ben was considering what career avenue he might take, and the opportunity arose to get insight into what the industry might be like through a casual contract supporting the group. On completion of his casual work, a permanent role as a Funeral Home Assistant arose, and Ben jumped at the chance to learn more and contribute to supporting families in the community. Outside of work Ben enjoys spending time with family and friends and has a keen interest in gaming and cars
Anna, a Belgian native, moved to New Zealand in 2019 to live with her Kiwi partner. She first worked as a rest home caregiver and later as a support worker for people with disabilities (caring for others being a common theme and value).
Next to her work, Anna had also developed a curiosity for end-of-life and grief-related subjects dating back to her study of philosophy and psychology back home. This led to part-time work as a lifter at a local funeral home, which she found an intriguing and rewarding experience.
Her introduction to the funeral industry, combined with her previous experience of providing care to individuals and families in need, led Anna to join us as a trainee embalmer in September 2022.
In her free time, Anna enjoys a good book (not always death-related), crocheting, and going for walks in the beautiful city she now calls home. Occasionally, you may also find her singing and playing the guitar.
Gemma was born in the Hutt Valley and attended Totara Park School, St. Joseph’s School for her intermediate years and then onto Upper Hutt College. Gemma had always had an interest in the funeral profession due to her strong family connection – Her great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all funeral directors before her and this ignited her passion. After studying and attaining her NZ Certificate in Sports Science and NZ Diploma in Legal Executive Studies and a stint as a professional squash coach in Guatemala, in 2017, Gemma decided the time was right to join the funeral profession as an embalmer. This was certainly all that she had hoped for and takes pride in being able to give the bereaved the opportunity of spending time and saying their farewells to their loved ones.
When Gemma is not embalming she can be found walking the many beautiful bushwalks of the area with her partner Luke and two beautiful daughters, Kora and Quinn. Or teaching a pilates class, coaching or playing squash, or putting the finishing touches to her new home.
