Meet your Elliotts team
We’re an experienced, dedicated team, and we’ve served this community since 1967. Thousands of local families have trusted us to care for their loved ones. Today, we’re here to support you.
Neil Gedge
Manager & Funeral Director
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Neil Gedge
Manager & Funeral Director
Neil and Lyn became the custodians of Elliotts Funeral Services in 1986. Neil feels privileged to care for local families and support them through difficult times. He is also an active Rotarian and a volunteer coastguard. A keen outdoors man, he spends weekends gardening, and loves fishing, hunting, cycling, and all water sports.
Lyn Gedge
Office Administration
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Lyn Gedge
Office Administration
Lyn has managed Elliotts Funeral Services with Neil, as office administrator, for 35+ years. She is committed to supporting local families and making sure their loved one’s funerals celebrate their lives and comfort their families. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and three grandchildren, gardening, and cooking for family and friends.
Kylie Sprague
Assistant Manager & Funeral Director
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Kylie Sprague
Assistant Manager & Funeral Director
Kylie has been part of the Elliotts team for more than 25 years. Born in Tauranga, she cares for the people of this community like her own family, doing whatever she can to honour their loved one’s lives. She and her husband Grant have three daughters, and her interests include gardening, baking and spending time with her girls.
Bruce Wills
Funeral Director
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Bruce Wills
Funeral Director
Bruce has been part of the Elliotts team for more than 20 years. Born in Te Puke, he joined us after a career in the Police and chaplaincy. He holds a National Certificate in Funeral Directing and his gentle care for local families is an inspiration to us all. He and his wife Bev have adult children and his interests include weightlifting and rowing.
Richard Vialoux
Funeral Director
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Richard Vialoux
Funeral Director
Richard joined the Elliotts team in early 2018, after a career in teaching, the Police, and the Anglican ministry. Richard’s clarity and compassion helps him care for bereaved families. He and his wife Elizabeth have five sons. Richard is an avid fan of the Australasian V8 super cars competition and loves getting away to the Coromandel.
Karen Klinkenberg
Funeral Director
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Karen Klinkenberg
Funeral Director
Karen recently joined the Elliotts’ team, with 10-years’ experience as a funeral director in the Waikato. She feels privileged to support families through the tough journey of saying farewell to their loved ones, and never takes that honour lightly. She and her husband Nick have relocated to Tauranga to be closer to their six grandchildren.
Carole Mahood
Bereavement Support
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Carole Mahood
Bereavement Support
Carole supports bereaved families through their loss, believing in the power of community to comfort people experiencing grief. Carole’s family is from Omokoroa and she is also a marriage and funeral celebrant and interfaith minister. She recharges with bushwalks and enjoys volunteering, writing, and travelling to new places.
Susan Whatmough
Office Administration
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Susan Whatmough
Office Administration
Susan joined Elliotts in 2007 after a career in newspapers, and she’s proud to support local families through tough times. Born in the West Midlands of England, she came to New Zealand with her family at the age of nine and now lives with her husband, Alec, on a lifestyle block, which they share with two dogs, a cat, chickens and sheep.
Anne Doel
Office Administration
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Anne Doel
Office Administration
Before joining Elliotts, Anne worked in Auckland as a cemetery administrator at North Shore Memorial Park and as administrator and receptionist for Forrest Funeral Services. Anne and her husband George re-located to the Bay of Plenty in 2016. Anne loves walking her beloved dog Bo, reading, folk art painting and ceramics.
Paula Stovold
Office Administration
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Paula Stovold
Office Administration
Paula joined Elliotts in 2021 after a diverse career working in banking, hospitality and hospice care. Nothing is too much trouble for Paula, She believes in exceptional service and understands attention to detail makes a huge difference. When she’s not supporting our community, Paula enjoys spending time with her two sons, cooking, yoga and cycling.
Contact us anytime
Bereavement can be hard. We’re here to talk any time of the day or night.