Helping say goodbye…
About Me
Here’s a quick outline of who I am and what qualifies me to be an effective funeral celebrant.
- Married for thirty years.
- Two married adult children
- One precious grandchild
- Lived in Brisbane since 1987
- Raised on a farm on NSW’s mid north coast
My work experience:
- 3 years as primary school chaplain @ Kingston & Berrinba East SS
- 10+ years as a primary teacher
- 4.5 years as education consultant
- 15 months as project manager
- 7 years as a private school principal
- 1.5 years as a truck driver
- Run various small businesses
- Children and youth group leader
- Participant in various church communities
- 5 years online writing experience
I currently work…
- serving SE Qld from the NSW border to the top of Brisbane and west to Toowoomba
Here are comments from families and funeral directors I have worked with over the last two years.
It is comforting to know that you are not just the Celebrant at the lectern, but someone who is able to appreciate what is being witnessed.
After reading your blog, I now know, that the families you meet with, are not just in the hands of a Celebrant, but they are with someone who values the lessons that the families are teaching.
Janet Ferguson [Manager / funeral director]
Beaudesert Funerals
Thank you for your kindness and patience on Friday. We were chatting after you left and we were confident that you got a good understanding of the person Arron was.
Paula
Thank you so very much for your special part in our celebration of Dad’s life. We appreciated having you there, and found the whole day to be very uplifting and full of good memories, loving friends and family. Dad would have been very happy 
Maree and Madonna and family
…a very trust-worthy, reliable, professional and extremely versatile Celebrant. His gentle, calm and non-judgmental personality has shone through. Bruce’s ability to “really listen” to our families and to understand the dynamics of each family member’s relationship with their loved one is apparent in his ceremonies. Highly respected within the funeral industry and a pleasure to work along side.
Gillian Harm (JP Qual) [Funeral Director]
METROPOLITAN FUNERALS – Gold Coast
We just wanted to say thank you for your efforts at the service. Everyone spoke very highly of your professionalism and Simon and I liked your sometimes ‘casual’ way of saying things that were appropriate for dad.
Regards, Melanie and Simon.
Families have found Bruce to be warm and friendly, and willing to sit beside them and assist them in personalising the Funeral Service for their loved one. Comments like ’this is just what Dad would have wanted’ – we felt as if you knew our loved one personally’. For me as a Funeral Director, he is very accommodating and works with us and the families to make the best celebration he can on every occasion.
Norma Gill
George Hartnett Funerals – Sandgate
I would like to thank you for the service you provided at my dad’s funeral. I was very happy with the overall service and the way it was conducted. It was a pleasure to deal with you during this challenging time.
Kindest regards, Kirsten
I have received so many compliments on the whole of the ceremony and that is in part to you too. Thanks to you I did the opening speech/eulogy which so many people said offered a side to ‘F’ they never knew. If it hadn’t been for you the speech would have been deemed ‘too long’ and I would not have read anything.
You lead it through beautifully and was a fitting tribute to my husband. I was very proud of my daughter too.
Margaret
Just a word of thanks for the lovely service presentation. The intro, psalm and readings were so appropriate and showed us the care and thought you had put in after our discussions at home. This meant a great deal to Mum & all of us.
Thanks for helping to make it a memorable event in our lives albeit a very sad one.
Sue & Richard.
We were sitting around last night talking about how lovely the service was and about how special you made it….we are truly grateful and appreciative!! We couldn’t have done it without you and your expertise and professionalism…..the little cards are just fantastic too!!
Sandra and the family
Families readily respond to Bruce’s warmth, caring, integrity and compassion. He is a shinning light and consummate professional in his field.
Carolyn [Funeral Director]
Thankyou once again for yesterday, the Service was beautiful. You are a special person and you made it so much easier for us. It was great having that connection as to having someone we didn’t know. Thanks again on behalf of all of our family.
Teresa.
Thank you so much for your fantastic service. It went just the way ‘J’ and the family wanted it. I’m still lost for words, however I wish it to be known that I truly appreciate your efforts.
Chris
I would like to thank you so much for the lovely service you gave yesterday to say good-bye to my Dear ‘J’. The effort you made was much appreciated and I was delighted with the way it all worked and made saying good-bye just a little easier.
Many Thanks, Roslyn
Everyone was really pleased with how the day went – we could not have asked for a better team to help us send dad on his way,
Warm regards, Jo
I have had Ann on the phone singing your praises for the Service you conducted yesterday. She said you were absolutely brilliant, and they cannot fault any part of the Service, it was just want they wanted. My staff were included in this praise. It is great to know I can leave everything in someone else’s hands, and they do a good job for me. Thank you again for conducting this Service.
Kindest regards
NORMA [funeral director]
My sister, my family and I thank you very much for the respectful and dignified service that you conducted yesterday. Your careful words and manner captured all that we wished to convey about our Dad. We felt the service was perfect in every way.
Sincere regards, Stacie and the family
Thank you Bruce from all of us. We especially think that you yourself, who you are and how you have gone about helping us all during this most difficult time has been a special gift.
Regards Glennis
Bruce has obviously listened to the family. He understands their needs. He is a beautifully presented, well spoken and genuine person.
Kay Bassett [Funeral Director]
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say THANK YOU for your lovely words and service at Dad’s funeral last Thursday. Everyone commented on how nice the service was.
Thank you from Tracee, Barbara and Scott
Your conduct of my husband’s funeral was perfectly wonderful and much appreciated.
Shirley
I would like to thank you for your beautiful service. Your words were very comforting, and I can see how you must have listened so carefully to Mum and Carl, and as you said, to the walls! We all appreciate the warmth and the professionalism of the ceremony you gave to my father.
Thanks, Anne
Bruce values and understands that funeral rituals are to guide families through the journey of grief. This is reflected in his services and his care. Trusting Bruce to care for my families, is to know that he will listen to them, he will understand them and he will guide them through their private funeral ritual.
Annette Lourigan JP Qual [Community Relations Manager]
Richard, Jan and I and our families would like to thank you for your help with Mum’s service. We were happy with how it all went and I think Mum would have enjoyed it. Thank you for the time you put into the service and for your kindness and understanding at a very sad time for us.
Kindest regards, Leonie
On behalf of all of the family I would like to say a big thank you for the lovely service you delivered for us to celebrate Poppy’s (as we all called him) life.
Thanks Barb
Thank you for performing Mum’s funeral. You did an excellent job and we were more than satisfied. If we had searched the state we could not have found anyone more suitable. Many, many people commented on your demeanor and the lovely, rich and calm quality of your voice. There is no doubt that you are the right man for the job. Good luck for the future.
Love and thanks, Phyllis
I have recommended Bruce to families on a regular basis as one of my preferred Funeral Celebrants. I have always found him to be professional and caring. I often receive wonderful feedback from families about his compassion, respect and guidance through their difficult times.
Pete Harris [Funeral director]
Thanks again Bruce – you and Michelle did a wonderful job. Everyone commented on what a lovely service it was. Yes, it will be a bit of an adjustment not having Dad around – but we’ll manage – as they say, “time will heal”
Best regards, Merrill, Lauren and our families
This is just a short note as a message of thanks for the service that you performed for Dad. My family and I thought the service was a perfect reflection of how dad would have wanted it. As you said the intimacy of the room combined with the great grand children walking around was fitting farewell for Dad. Positive comments also came from his mates who attended about the way in which the service was conducted.
Paul, Sandra and family
Thank you so much for your officiation at the ceremony. I was dreading it but you made it more bearable and it was short thank goodness. Everyone said it was a lovely service.
Regards, Sue
Bruce, thank you for all your assistance in giving ‘K’ such a beautiful farewell – words expressed by a number of people who attended. I personally felt a sense of calm and peace following the farewell, though those feelings do little to fill the emptiness in my life. Again thank you for your guidance and assistance at this difficult time…
Deb
We have been privileged for some years now to refer our client families to Bruce. His sense of caring and compassion extends well beyond what we have previously experienced. I have personally experienced Bruce’s calm and caring demeanour whilst attending a funeral service he conducted for our company which was attended by well over 300 people.
Bruce remains one of our preferred celebrants in the South-east corner. We are confident providing this testimonial to clients who demand a well organised, personal and meaningful celebrant service.”
Tim Connolly [Director]
