From Boffin to Coffin

Back in the days before computers were personal and phones were smart, I was a computer programmer, bashing code onto unnumbered punched cards in a computer-free building.

 

Miles away, near the centre of New Zealand's capital city, sat the Government Computer Centre which turned those cards into functional programs. Sometimes. Success was a small lineflow printout. Failure was a three-foot high core dump.

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I loved programming, especially the process of breaking down a problem into its component parts. That appealed to my analytical nature but there was also a creative component which balanced it and gave me the joy of creating something out of nothing. I loved the way the world fell away when I was coding – it was interesting, mentally stimulating, and absorbing. Sometimes I still yearn for that propeller hat.

 

Somehow, twenty-five years and nearly as many computer upgrades later,  I became a funeral director. I found it really rewarding to help people navigate through losing someone they love. And again there was a creative component – incorporating into a funeral service the special touches that tell a person’s story. An element of “problem-solving” there too – bringing together all the parts to create the whole – identifying the venue, the time, the celebrant, and the stories to be told. Working out how to get there from here.

 

Opportunity opened two more doors to creativity - writing and public speaking - and thus,  Boffin to Coffin was born. My passion for both industries endures, and the rewarding blend of writing and speaking has opened the door to celebrancy. I enjoy utilising the 12 years of skills, training and experience as a funeral director in my work as a funeral celebrant, as a trustee of the Funeral Services Training Trust (NZ) and as a member of the editorial board for Funeralcare magazine.

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2021 added two more governance roles: responsible trustee for two Wairoa land blocks, and Consumer Council representation in the health space for Te Whatu Ora Tairawhiti.

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In 2022 I was engaged by the Open Polytechnic as a Subject Matter Expert, to write courses for the Level 5 Diploma in Funeral Directing. An incredibly rewarding role which led to more opportunities: Matauranga Maori reviews, and Adjunct marking.

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2023 sees me back at the helm for the General Election, managing the vast East Coast electorate.