FIRST STEPS

There are a number of things to consider at the start

The nature of the farewell

There are many different ways to say goodbye to your loved one. There is no “one size fits all” these days and, at Gillions, we can help you  create a  unique and personalised farewell.
It could  be as simple as a cremation without a formal gathering or a large public funeral , and everything else in between.
We understand that services with a religious element can provide comfort and healing  for those of faith, whereas for others, a simple, personalised and contemporary farewell is the perfect way to say goodbye.

 Family Care

If someone is to return to the family home or marae, we can provide our professional expertise to make the viewing a comfortable and dignified event.


Whether the casket is to be open or remain closed needs to be taken into consideration.


We will discuss the level and nature of the care with you so that you can make an informed choice.


Sometimes a death occurs when a person is away from home.


Depending on the circumstances, the family usually wishes to have the deceased returned home for the funeral.
We can assist with the arrangements to get your loved one home.

Domestic

Gillions Funeral Services is part of a network of funeral service providers operating throughout New Zealand.

This enables us to assist with repatriations from, or to, any locality. Within New Zealand this usually takes 2–4 days.

Talk to us and we will work with our networks to provide whatever services may be required.

 International

When repatriating from an overseas location to New Zealand, or returning a loved one back to their country, the process is affected by the regulations of that country.

A time frame for this will need to be assessed after liaising with the parties involved.

Important Documents

The most current will can give guidance on what should happen.


Copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses and death certificates can also make the process of obtaining the information for death registrations easier and correct.


It can also be beneficial to find bank details, to put a stop on the account and prevent unnecessary automatic payments being made.


Appearance is important

Choosing the right clothes can be very important.
It might be traditional, it might be how you remembered them or even how they told you they wanted to be dressed. 

Clothing

You will be asked to provide clothing for your loved one. Ideally, this includes a full set of underclothes and outerwear.

Glasses and dentures should also be supplied if they were usually worn.

You are welcome to dress or assist with dressing if you wish to.

Jewellery

A decision also needs to be made about what is to happen to any jewellery the deceased was wearing when they died.

Care should be taken to check for any instructions about jewellery in the deceased’s will, in case there are specific bequests.

Rest

You may be exhausted and drained especially if your loved one has been ill for some time and you have been spending time at their side.

The funeral process is exhausting in itself, so we will understand if you need to spend a bit of time recharging before making all the arrangements.