Meet our Family Care Team
Our Family Care Team are carefully selected, highly trained and experienced in providing a sense of structure to support and guide families with the right decisions, at the right time, to create the moments that matter.
It’s more than the job. Our work extends far beyond mere planning and logistics; it involves creating a space for healing and remembrance, and actively demonstrates the profound importance of their role for our community.
Our roles within the funeral home are one of service....
Feedback tells us that trying to plan a funeral while coping with grief is known to be incredibly difficult. As your trusted companion, our role is to elegantly guide, whilst subtly diverting any unnecessary pressure off our families, giving them the necessary time and space to begin to grieve. We are equipped to do the heavy lifting, so people are prepared for making the necessary decisions at the appropriate times. We have the skills and training to manage the practicalities of death whilst being a comforting support down what can be a long road.
Our greatest strengths are our ability to listen and respond. By interpreting the unique and sometimes implied needs of a family, we can translate those wishes into practical actions resulting in a funeral experience that is appropriate to celebrate life, to say goodbye and, fulfil the legal obligations and requirements resulting from the death of a loved one.
As well as offering compassionate support and guidance, funeral directors have a duty of care for all the family, friends and acquaintances of those who have died and our care extends before, during and after a death has occurred. The supporting roles are no less important and create the fabric that binds the experience we are proud to deliver.
Terry Longley - General Manager
Terry Longley is a 3rd generation funeral director who feels extremely honoured to be able to follow in the footsteps of his father & grandfather. Right from when Terry was just an infant he would always be trying to help Dad out around the funeral home, cleaning hearses after school or always seeking to learn how things were done.
Now, at age 32, Terry holds qualifications in both Business Management & Funeral Directing.
Terry has always had a unique way of looking at situations and takes great pride in creating a meaningful ceremony that’s fitting for the family. His patience, his kindness and his compassion for all people make Terry so amazing at what he does. Outside of work, Terry has great a passion for aviation, running as a sport, and holds a deep appreciation for the universe. His final wish is having his cremated remains launched into deep space so he may, one day, return to the
stars.
Steve Shaw - Branch Manager / Grief Coach
After growing up in Hastings, Steve left New Zealand to explore the world and returned to hastings 4 years ago to make it home.
After a rewarding career spanning 25 years in Telecommunications and Banking & Finance, he realised he wanted something with greater purpose so embarked on a personal growth journey resulting in certification in life coaching, massage and reiki therapies and as a death doula.
Steves corporate career exposed him to living within diverse cultures across the Middle East, Asia, America, India and Australia. Each immersion with their unique and sometimes confronting cultures, traditions and belief systems, has shaped his perspective on life, death and dying and has led him to his career as a funeral director.
“Coming back to Hawkes Bay with all this life experience, I’ve definitely found my purpose and I love the engagement with my families and feel incredible energised by what I do at such a critical time in people’s lives”.
Outside of work, Steve is a big fan of good food and wine, an avid traveller and cherishes his time with good friends and family. He is a big brother mentor to little brother Teddy and has a ball with his elderly parents who live a block from him in Napier.
Blain Lamberg – Office Administrator & Funeral Director / Assistant / Grief Coach
Growing up in Hawkes Bay, Blain has always been surrounded by her tight-knit whānau consisting of her hard working parents, three beautiful sisters, and a younger brother who is so special to them.
The main drive for working in the industry comes from heavy personal loss (oldest sister at a young age, the passing of both my other sister and dad within two years of each other more recently). During that time, her experience with the funeral director made the burden of our loss seem easier, and that cemented her desire to become a funeral director herself.
Blain has 3 children who’ve taught her a lot of lessons, mostly around patience, but she couldn’t be more prouder to be called their Mum. Blain and her partner share six children between us ages ranging from 6-13 so between work, sports, kapa haka, mahi, whanau events and life in general – it can get hectic but she soaks up every second.
Quality time spent with whānau and friends is her sanctuary but fills her cup listening to music, going along to live gigs and her real favourite – doing absolutely nothing in a clean house.
Funella - Head of Comfort & Support
Funella grew up in Gisbourne and joined the team in January, 2025 at the age of 8 weeks old. Her interests include endless zoomies, a passion for food and genuinely caring about the people she meets.
Funella greets every person that comes into the funeral home with intense enthusiasm and can sense when someone needs a cuddle as she heads straight for them to offer her unwavering support and comfort, just when they need it most.
Michael Bates – Funeral Director and Embalmer
A qualified Funeral Director & Embalmer with over 20 years’ experience, Mike is a well known identity in the Hawkes Bay community and we can honestly say our company would not be where it is today without him!
Mike started in this industry as the eager 16-year-old sweeping the floors of a funeral home in Wanganui. His family moved to Hawkes Bay where he continued to follow his dream as a Funeral Director. Mike has an endless passion for the families who choose Tong & Peryer and with his incredible charm and quick humour, he is trusted with generations of our Hawkes Bay families.
As an embalmer, he takes immense pride in his ability to present other’s loved ones as they would like to remember them.
Mike lives in Havelock North with his wife and two children Michaela and Aiden. He adores spending his spare time with his family, indulging his passion for food and when there’s time, on the links for a good game of golf.
Nicola Robertson - Funeral Assistant
Born and bred in Hawkes Bay, Nicola has worked in the funeral industry across our community since 2016.
Prior to this career move, Nicola worked in the veterinary industry and bred and produced champion show ponies.
Nick has an incredible skill as a cosmetician, in particular with trauma cases. Many of our families are incredibly grateful for this important work as it has allowed them the opportunity to view their loved one when they didn’t think it possible.
Toni Bishop – Funeral Director
Born in Hawkes Bay, Toni worked as an orderly in the local hospital for 7 years and gained a qualification in front-line business management. She moved to the funeral industry just over two years ago.
With the move to funeral directing, Toni wants to ensure everyone she looks after gets the funeral they deserve. Her personal mission is in making sure every detail is thought through carefully, ensuring the journey for whanau is as stress free as possible so they can heal and reflect, rather than worry about logistics.
Married to Bayden, Toni is kept busy with her two boys and two dogs. What spare time there is, is spent with all her boys cooking and baking (all things terribly bad) or surveying her passion for browsing the local Op Shops for bargains and no weekend is complete without the good old kiwi family visit to Mitre 10.
Nicole Parkinson – Funeral Director
Throughout Nicoles career, she has held a variety of roles such as Fire Equipment Technician, Hairdresser, Florist & is still currently a Qualified Senior Fire Fighter with Fire & Emergency New Zealand (which she has done for 22 years).
During her years with FENZ, her real passion came from the medical emergency situations. The intense training gave her the opportunity to save lives! (Unfortunately, not all could be saved)… but as hard as that was, she discovered an incredible ability to comfort people in what was one of the worst moments of their lives. So, it hasn’t stopped as she thrives in her role as a funeral director with her continued mission to look after her families, by looking after the ones they love which she sees as a true honour.
Living in Napier with her partner of 22 years, they have two beautiful children, two ‘rotti’ dog fur babies called Bruce and Dennis and a horse / therapist named Louie.
Sheldon Reddie – Funeral Director
Sheldon has spent the last 20 years in Hawke’s Bay holding various roles within Central Government ensuring that community services were available to Whānau when and where they needed them. The opportunity to become a funeral director means he will still be able to work with whānau and provide them with clarity and peace of mind at a time when they need it the most.
Along with their 4 dogs Sheldon and his wife spend their spare time raising cattle and sheep on a Lifestyle block just out of Hastings and if this does not keep them busy enough, they have been singing in bands and performing in local theatre since they first met 25 years ago.
Theo Ruth – Graphic Designer
Although new to the funeral industry, Theo is inspired by a career helping others. With a bachelor’s degree in communications studies, Theo is able to take a concept and turn out a creative piece that captures the essence of people’s personalities and lives, whilst bringing joy to a family and sees this as an incredibly rewarding part of the role.
Past president of AUT’s Rainbow community group, Theo was honoured with a life time achievement award for her effort and contribution.
Born in West Auckland, Theo now calls Hawkes Bay home, married to Izzy with 2 cats and a dog. During downtime, Theo can often be found in nature with a camera so creativity is a constant in her life.
Anne Fortune – Celebrant
Anne has been a Funeral Celebrant for 25 years.
Growing up in Timaru where her Father was the local Funeral Director, Anne learnt to have respect and dignity for the funeral industry from a very early age. With daily visits to the funeral home after school to help out she was very comfortable in that setting and took her first funeral service at the age of 21.
Prior to becoming a full-time funeral celebrant, Anne was Chaplain at Hereworth School for 15 years and a further 15 years before that with the National Bank of New Zealand as a Business Development Officer.
Anne is married to Warren, they lived at Lindisfarne College for 24 years so got to know the student community and their families incredible well and these special relationships continue with so many to this day. Anne and Warren enjoy spending time with their grown-up family including their grandson. Spare time is spent in their garden at their home.
Anne believes her role as Funeral Celebrant is a calling and she has a great passion and love for people and being there for them at their time of need.
Warren Fortune – Grief and After Care Coordinator
Originally from Invercargill, Warren is ordained as a Presbyterian Minister. As a minister and a Justice of the Peace, he has served the community for the past 40 years in Clinton, Timaru, Upper Hutt, Masterton and Hastings.
After his retirement following 24 years as Chaplain at Lindisfarne College, we are fortunate to have Warren as our dedicated Grief and After Care Coordinator. With a degree in psychology and theology he plays a vital role for our families following a bereavement, to offer support and guidance.
Married to Anne, together they have led literally hundreds of funerals so well known to so many of our Hawkes Bay families.