Steve and Tonya Hibberd to open Victoria Oaks Funeral Home in well-known Whanganui central city property

Steve and Tonya Hibberd are currently renovating the two-storey house for Victoria Oaks Funeral Home. Photo / Bevan Conley

A well-known central Whanganui property is taking on a new lease of life as Victoria Oaks Funeral Home.

Steve and Tonya Hibberd are currently renovating the two-storey house at 260 Victoria Ave, near the corner of Plymouth St, and plan to open by the end of June.

"We moved in at the end of June [2018] and work started the very next day," Tonya said.

A mortuary and workshop are being built at the back of the property while the downstairs is being converted into family viewing areas, a casket room and a reception area.

The funeral home will be able to accommodate private services and the Hibberds are organising access to another venue for larger services for people who do not have links to a church or marae.

The decision to set up the funeral home came after Steve was unable to find work when the couple moved back to Whanganui from Hawke's Bay to be near ageing parents.

Tonya, whose background is mainly in property administration, quickly picked up a job with a real estate company and eventually Steve decided to return to his previous profession as a funeral director.

He started working in the industry in early 1996 after being in the air force and working in prisons in Whanganui and Hawke's Bay and is formally trained, gaining top awards in both funeral directing and embalming.

"It was quite unusual as I started working as a funeral director and only a year later I bought the funeral home which was at the time the biggest in Hawke's Bay," Steve said.

"I sold that 10 years later and managed cemeteries and crematoriums for the council then went back to funeral directing."

Steve says families often have strong ties to particular funeral homes so starting a new funeral home can be quite difficult.

"That's changing with the younger generation as they're more prepared to shop around and also with the influx of new people to Whanganui who have no set viewpoint when it comes to funeral homes. The challenge is to carve out my little niche.

"When I started funeral directing, I had no experience of death so I based everything on what I would like to have happen if it was me or my family and that has shaped the way I approach funeral directing. It's not about me, it's about listening to and responding to the needs of individual families."

Tonya says funeral directing is Steve's passion.

"It's where he feels most comfortable and can do the most good," she said.

"We see a lot of people stop and look at what's going on with the building. It's had a chequered past and we understand it was once known as a party house but most recently as a jeweller's.

"We've had really positive reactions from people who ask us about it. They're pleased we're keeping one of the street's iconic buildings and bringing another funeral option to Whanganui."