A warm welcome to Ali Keast

It has been transformational to welcome Ali Keast to the Hope Funerals team in January (2024), bringing the number of funeral directors up to four. It’s wonderful to have our first female in the team. Ali is married to Murray, has 3 adult children and 3 delightful grandchildren. She has many years of church connection in the Christchurch area and has been involved in various leadership and ministry roles. Previous to joining Hope Funerals Ali worked for a number of years with New Zealand Blood Service in a people orientated role. She brings all this life and vocational experience to her role along with being passionate and committed to serving people across the community at what can be one of the most difficult times in a family’s life. Her care and thoughtfulness will without doubt undergird her support of the families she works alongside. For Ali, a funeral is a time to remember and celebrate a life well lived. Although new to this role; death, love, grief, and compassion are no strangers to Ali. She will bring creativity and dignity to this role - making farewelling your loved one a memorable experience. Going forward, in 2025 Ali is looking forward to meeting with interested groups to talk about the finer points of preparing for a funeral and helping families be well prepared when facing the loss of a loved one.