V J Williams & Sons

26/05/2026

ROBERTS Katharina (Katie)
Peacefully at Te Kuiti Hospital on Monday 25th May 2026. Aged 96 years. Dearly loved wife of the late Ian. Loved and cherished mother and mother-in-law of Raymond and Karen; Helen and Brian. Loved Oma of Ben, Sophie, Sean and Samantha. Will be sadly missed. A special thank you to all the staff at Hillview and Te Kuiti Hospital for their wonderful care. Katie will be farewelled by her family and friends at a private celebration of her life. Tributes can be left on our website www.vjwilliams.co.nz/funerals-tributes. All communications to Roberts Family c/- PO Box 241, Te Kuiti 3941. In the care of VJ Williams & Sons, Funeral Directors Association of NZ

15/05/2026

WALLIS Bruce Grahame
Suddenly at his farm on Saturday 9th May 2026. Aged 78 years. Much loved and cherished husband of the late Colleen. Respected and loved father of Michelle, the late Dianna, Grahame and Daniel. Loved and treasured grandpa of Tai and Luci Dundas; Kalem, Lachlan and Briana Wallis; Cole, Jackson and Vincent Kerins; Bianca and Owen Wallis. Cherished great-grandfather of Daesyn Kerins and Layla Wallis. A service to celebrate Bruce’s life will be held at the Piopio Rugby Club, Aria Road on Saturday 16th May at 1.30pm. Tributes can be left on our website www.vjwilliams.co.nz/funerals-tributes. To join by livestreaming please use this link. https://hire.waikatosl.co.nz/bruce-wallis/ All communications to the Wallis Family c/- PO Box 241, Te Kuiti 3941. VJ Williams & Sons, Funeral Directors Association of NZ.

13/05/2026

WALLIS Bruce Grahame
Suddenly at his farm on Saturday 9th May 2026. Aged 78 years. Much loved and cherished husband of the late Colleen. Respected and loved father of Michelle, the late Dianna, Grahame and Daniel. Loved and treasured grandpa of Tai and Luci Dundas; Kalem, Lachlan and Briana Wallis; Cole, Jackson and Vincent Kerins; Bianca and Owen Wallis. Cherished great-grandfather of Daesyn Kerins and Layla Wallis. A service to celebrate Bruce’s life will be held at the Piopio Rugby Club, Aria Road on Saturday 16th May at 1.30pm. Tributes can be left on our website www.vjwilliams.co.nz/funerals-tributes. To join by livestreaming please use this link. https://hire.waikatosl.co.nz/bruce-wallis/All communications to the Wallis Family c/- PO Box 241, Te Kuiti 3941. VJ Williams & Sons, Funeral Directors Association of NZ.

03/05/2026

From the frontline of funeral care to the pages of AA Directions, Dr Lucy Hone continues to redefine how we face life’s toughest moments. Her recent work with the Funeral Directors Association of NZ highlights a new era of "Resilient Grieving"—moving beyond The Five Stages of Grief toward practical, science-backed tools for recovery. Check out the latest issue of Directions for her top tips on navigating challenging times! 🌿

30/04/2026

What does Phil do when he is not being a funeral director or monumental mason? Last Friday Phil was very proud to attend the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal presentation of his daughter, Lorrae, at Whenuapai Air Force Base. This was a celebration of her dedication and integrity in her career with the Royal New Zealand Airforce. Lorrae was presented her medal by the Chief of Air Force Air Vice Marshall Darren Webb.

28/04/2026

Is the $10,000 asset testing exemption set in 1994 still relevant?

People think the average cost of a funeral is $10,000 - but a new survey shows that's way off the mark and won't even cover a modest service

20/04/2026

LEE, Mary Elizabeth (1925–2026)
Passed away peacefully on Saturday 18 April 2026, aged 100 years. Dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. Mary lived a long and remarkable life. She was known for her generous heart, always giving and caring deeply for everyone around her. She will be forever remembered and sadly missed by all who knew and loved her. A service to celebrate Mary’s life will be held at V J Williams & Sons Chapel, King Street West, Te Kuiti on Wednesday the 22nd of April at 1:00pm, followed by a private cremation. All family and friends are warmly invited to attend. Our family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the caring staff at Hillview Home for the kindness, compassion, and wonderful care they gave Mary in her final years. All communications to Lee Family c/- PO Box 241, Te Kuiti 3941. VJ Williams & Sons, Funeral Directors Association of NZ

15/04/2026

A two minute read that may save your family hours in the future. We certainly found this thought provoking.

More and more families are discovering that memories stored online can be difficult to access after someone dies.

Emails, photo libraries, social media accounts, subscriptions - they don’t simply disappear.

A little planning now can make things much easier for the people you love later.

We’ve written a short blog explaining why your digital legacy matters and what you can do to prepare.

13/04/2026

COLLINS Margaret Grace
Passed away peacefully on Sunday 12 April 2026 in her 95th year. Dearly loved wife of the late Phil. Cherished mother of Marilyn, Chris and Philip. Nan to Brendan, Adelle, Kelly, Trina, Chloe and Ryan. Great Nan to seven Great Grandchildren. A private cremation has taken place. In accordance with family wishes a private family service will be held at a later date. Many thanks to the staff of Beattie Home Otorohanga. All communications to Collins family c/- PO Box 241, Te Kuiti 3941. VJ Williams & Sons, Funeral Directors Association of NZ

07/04/2026

What do funeral directors do during their weekends off? Sarah Snookes participated in a race along 90 Mile Beach organised by Born to Run Adventure Racing. This is a charity dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and repurposing the lives of miniature ponies. This is the world’s longest and only miniature horse race and was held over the Easter weekend. Covering 100km over four unforgettable days, this one-of-a-kind event was to raise funds for the welfare and care of miniature ponies. https://www.borntorunadventureracing.org