We understand that when someone close to you has died, everyone needs to say goodbye in their own way and their own time.

For some, there is a compelling need to spend time with their loved one, to bathe and dress them, to sit with them, to talk to them… simply to be close. For others, saying goodbye at the time of death is enough. We offer a range of choices about saying goodbye.

You may choose to have home-based care. This choice  makes it possible for your loved one to lie at home or somewhere with a personal connection that will be comforting to them and to you. Together with friends and family, you can privately celebrate their life and mourn their loss for up to several days if you so choose.  Choosing to care for your loved one in this way means they are never alone nor with strangers; you accompany them on their final journey.

You may choose to have your loved one stay at our premises in our coolroom until the day of the funeral. You can arrange a time to come and spend with them in our lounge if you would like to.

The choices are yours.

It takes time to come to terms with the death of someone you love and even longer to decide how you wish to honour them. There is no rush to make these decisions. In your own time and if you wish, you can perform all or some of the tasks associated with the funeral.

We support you to do as much as you feel comfortable doing and will sensitively assist when required. Most importantly, we give you the opportunity to say goodbye in your own, meaningful way.

Our services are tailored to meet your specific needs and include:

Home care

We can take care of the preparation of your deceased loved one’s body in your home. Should you wish to, you are also able to assist with washing, dressing and preparing your loved one. We will support, advise and provide whatever assistance you feel comfortable with.

Eco Funeral Care at our Premises

We can transfer your loved one to our premises in New Lynn or Albany where they will stay in a cooled environment, rather than being chemically embalmed. You and your family can then arrange to come and visit if you wish and to spend time together in our comfortable, private lounge.

To learn more about Eco Funeral click here.

Funeral pre-planning

We can assist you to make the necessary arrangements for your own funeral. We have a pre planning kit available.We do not hold any funds on your behalf but rather suggest that you put funds aside in a bank account and  tell family how to access this when the time comes. Your funeral information is held in our filing system, and all you need to do is to advise family of this.

Logistical assistance

State of Grace provides full assistance with the legal and medical paperwork relating to a death in the family, including procuring medical and death certificates.

Transport

We can organise appropriate transport on your behalf.

Our hearses are all smart white vehicles fitted out with interior hearse fittings, but still understated and discreet. We can also hire a black hearse if you wish. You are welcome to use an appropriate private vehicle if you have one.

Cremation & Burial

We can provide advice on all cremation and burial options and make the necessary arrangements on your behalf.  We do have one eco-burial area in Auckland (at Waikumete Cemetery) but are optimistic that we will be able to offer a range of eco-burial options in other areas in the near future.

Remembrance services

From engaging a celebrant and arranging for flowers, to assisting with the writing of newspaper notices, a eulogy or speech, we can ensure that your wishes are carried out with as little stress as possible.

Embalming

While embalming is not always necessary, we can arrange this.

Conventional and traditional services

We can offer advice and assistance in the planning of conventional and traditional funerals.