Losing someone we love is perhaps the toughest experience we face. At Dils Funeral Services, serving Albany, Birkenhead and the Hibiscus Coast on Auckland’s North Shore, we believe that a funeral is much more than a ceremony, it’s a beginning of a journey for those left behind, and a meaningful way to honour the life that’s passed.


When a service is personalised, reflecting the unique story, values and interests of the person who has lived, it provides a gentle bridge between sorrow and remembrance. Instead of simply fulfilling tradition, it becomes a tribute that resonates with the family and friends they leave behind.


What does personalising a funeral service look like at Dils? We encourage families to bring in photographs, favourite music, stories, mementos: maybe a fishing rod for someone who loved the ocean off the Hibiscus Coast, or a football jersey for a passionate sports fan in Birkenhead. These touches do more than decorate they help those attending remember who the person was, not just that they are gone.


Why does this help with grief? Because grief is complex. It is not only sadness but isolation, questions and the longing for connection. By making the service more personal:

  • It affirms the person mattered, was known and loved.

  • It gives those attending something concrete to hold on to, a memory, a story, a symbol.

  • It opens a space where people can share, laugh, cry and thus the healing journey begins.

At Dils, the team supports you through all the practical arrangements: venue coordination at our North Shore facilities, liaising with local churches, cemeteries or crematoriums, and managing logistics. With the strong community link across the North Shore region, we know local venues, local cultural practices and what helps families feel supported.

Whether the service is held in our chapel, a local church in Birkenhead, or a gathering overlooking the ocean at Stanmore Bay on the Hibiscus Coast, the aim is the same: to create a farewell that looks back with love and forward with hope.

If you find yourself planning ahead, or supporting someone who is, consider the power of personalisation. Ask: What made the person laugh? What were their passions? What story would they want told? Then bring that into the service.

At Dils Funeral Services, we’ll help you make that vision real, in a way that honours your loved one and gently supports your grieving