Jolene's good grief BREEZE STAR'S SWEET GOODBYES

The broadcaster and funeral celebrant lays to rest any of her fears about death

- Rebekah Hebenton

As a radio host, Jolene James has made a career connecting with people from all walks of life. For the past five years, she has been the voice that wakes Tauranga up as the local Breeze breakfast host and has built a caring community of listeners.

Now, Jolene is using her gift of the gab and her big heart to help families through one of the most difficult times in life as a funeral celebrant.

"I absolutely love it and it's made me realise that a lot of people don't want to talk about death. It's still quite a taboo subject." It was a series of sad losses in Jolene's own life that made her realise her desire to become a funeral celebrant.

Jolene's mum Thelma was only in her 70s when she passed away unexpectedly in 2016 after developing blood clots. While Jolene describes it as a blessing after watching her battle with dementia for years, it was still a very difficult time.

Despite her grief, Jolene knew she wanted to represent her family and perform the eulogy, and says she ended up speaking for almost 30 minutes as she paid tribute to her beloved mum.