When Antionette Tafeamaallii is in mum mode, she loves lunch dates and trainspotting with her adorable preschooler Jackson. But the moment she pulls on her black power suit and heads off to work, her focus is on death.
Spending her days running funerals and grooming deceased bodies, Antionette is a passionate funeral director from Ōhau in the Horowhenua.
“Everyone always asks if I’ve seen The Casketeers and of course I have!” laughs the 34-year-old, who owned an at-home beauty business before stepping into the funeral world. “That show’s great because it opened the door to conversation around death and our role, which is often misunderstood. I feel like the little secret sometimes, but our work is about helping people.”
Nine months ago, Antionette was having a break between eyelash tints when she scrolled through a job website and saw her dream role. She’d wanted to become a funeral director since her early twenties, but it was losing her nana six years ago that fuelled her desire.
“When my nan died, I wasn’t 100% happy with how her funeral went because we weren’t able to view her body at the funeral home or dress her,” explains Antionette, who is married to businessman Pete.
“When you’re telling a Samoan family they can’t view a loved one and not communicating clearly why, it can be really traumatising. Seeing people that upset stuck in my mind and I wanted to be there to listen to families.”
Esta historia es de la edición 06 April, 2023 de Woman’s Day Magazine NZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición 06 April, 2023 de Woman’s Day Magazine NZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
TREASURE & TRAUMA
The launch of the new season of Celebrity Treasure Island doubled as an eighth wedding anniversary celebration for contestant Millen Baird and his wife Siobhan Marshall, who came fourth on the show back in 2022.
JUDGE JAY-JAY
Radio diva Jay-Jay Feeney delivers her verdict on your biggest dilemmas
CASEY'S BABY JOY 'OUR GIRL IS ALREADY SO LOVED'
The Te Puke gym owner refused to let a devastating accident stop her from becoming a mother
DEAD FUNNY! SHOSHANA'S GOING SOLO
The Emmy Award-winning writer is starring in a macabre new comedy
TWO RAW SISTERS BABY MAKES THREE!
Rosa and Margo have a new cookbook and bundle of joy on the way
HOME AND AWAY'S NEW MÃORI STAR
The son of a Kiwi sporting Legend, Cantona Stewart is making waves in Summer Bay
TV STAR AIDEE 'THE NIGHT I ALMOST DIED'
The actress and director opens up about her terrifying ordeal
CARMEL SEPULONI I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A FIGHTER!
Our former deputy PM the lessons she's learnt in politics on CTI
KENNEDY & SOLLY'S ROMANTIC RACE TO THE ALTAR
The Black Ferns co-captain and her rugby star husband organised the ir nuptials in just five days!
THE BRAD & GEORGE SHOW is back!
Their lovable bromance is stealing the spotlight in Venice!