Meet your Elliotts team

Kylie Sprague

Manager, Funeral Director & Embalmer

Kylie has been part of the Elliotts team for more than 25 years. Born and raised in Tauranga, she cares for the people of this community like her own family. She and her husband Grant have three adult daughters, and her spare time is filled with baking, cycling and work around their orchard.

Yvonne Winch

Assistant Manager & Funeral Director

Yvonne joined Elliotts in October 2022, after 3 years working in the funeral industry in the Gold Coast. Prior to this she was a funeral director in Auckland for 14 years and became fully qualified in 2015 with a Diploma in Funeral Services. Yvonne says “It is such an honor to be able to guide families through the funeral arrangements when they are facing one of the toughest times of their lives. Everyone has a story and I love hearing all about their loved one’s life story”. Yvonne and her husband Chris are the parents of 2 adult girls, and proud Nonnie and Poppy to their only grandchild Lillie.

Neil Gedge

Brand Ambassador & 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.

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.

Kaz Henderson

Funeral Director

Kaz recently joined the Elliotts team after having a long standing interest in the funeral industry. She has had a variety of experience working with people, including working as a tour guide in Europe, radio breakfast co-host and most recently 6 years as an ambulance officer in Tauranga. Kaz has a genuine love for helping people and still does the occasional ambulance shift. She lives with her partner and 3 children and numerous pets.

Leah Kelly-Frith

Funeral Director

Leah has recently joined the Elliotts team as a qualified Funeral Director gaining her Diploma in 2016. Leah has a welcoming and friendly personality and finds it an honour and privilege to assist and guide families with compassion and dignity, at a time when they are most vulnerable.

 

Leah together with her husband Dave have 6 children and in her spare time she enjoys the company of her extended family and friends who offer a good work life balance. Whilst swimming dominated her early years, she now enjoys gardening, getting stuck into Interior Design projects and walks along Papamoa beach.

Karen MacEachen

Office Administration

After spending the last 30 plus years living in Scotland where Karen met her husband Gordon, they both decided to return to New Zealand in late 2021. Karen has previously worked in a variety of professions including teaching, banking, hospitality and for the last 15 years in the funeral industry. This was initially an administrative position but after 10 years she moved into the role of a funeral arranger.

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

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.

Jenny McLean

Office Administration

Jenny joined Elliotts in 2023 with a background in Office Management and Administration, Customer service and retail sales. She holds a Level 6 New Zealand Diploma in Business and a Level 5 Accounting Diploma. Born in England she came to New Zealand as a toddler and has spent most of her life living in Tauranga. Her interests include camping, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Ikihemotu Tauleletoa

Embalmer

Faka lofa lahi atu! Kia ora! Talofa! Malo e lelei ! Bula! And Hello! My name is Ikihemotu Tauleletoa (iki). I am a father to 8 children and koro to a tribe! I was born on the Rock of the pacific also known as Niue Island . I migrated to New Zealand at an early age where I grew up and attended schooling in Pukekohe. I raised my tamariki in Pukekohe surrounded by potatoes patches, onions fields and where well known movies are made. I started my funeral journey 5 years ago as a Funeral Directors Assistant before becoming a Funeral Director’s Assistant Coordinator where I gained a strong knowledge in cultural funerals and tangihanga. This was achieved with the help and support of the team from Fountain Funerals in Papakura. I have recently made the move down to Tauranga where my children are and to further my ambitions as an embalmer.