Front left to right: Amba, Adrian, Julie with Poppy and Madeline on chair
Back left to right: Rochelle and Phillipa
Twentymans has been committed to serving our community longer than any other funeral business in New Zealand.
We have been serving our Thames and greater Coromandel Peninsula community since 1867, and are one of the country’s longest running funeral homes.
Established by William Twentyman in 1867 during the booming days of the Coromandel gold rush, over a century later, and the business is still thriving.
In 1993 current co-owners Adrian and Julie Catran purchased the business. Although the business ownership has changed, the Twentyman name has been retained with its proud links to the traditions and heritage of the 19th century when the business was first founded.
Between Adrian’s vision, innovative technology, and the loyalty of the local community, Twentymans has withstood the test of time and is now an award-winning leader in the industry alongside its’ sisters Thames Valley Crematory, Forever Pets, and The Thames on Kirkwood offering the community a convenient range of affordable services all on one site.
As an invited member of NZ Independent Funeral Homes Ltd, we are part of an organisation of caring professionals who offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. Our symbol is your guarantee of professionalism, integrity, and service, provided with the utmost dignity and compassion. All of our staff are fully qualified and registered, maintaining the highest ethical standards. In 2018 we were awarded the Hauraki-Coromandel Business Award for Quality Service.
Twentymans cover the Coromandel Peninsula, Hauraki Plains and beyond from our main office, chapel and mortuary in Grahamstown, Thames, with additional viewing rooms in Whitianga, Paeroa, and Whangamata.
Our comprehensive selection of quality caskets, range from traditional solid and veneered wood styles, to a range of contemporary caskets made from eco materials such as bamboo or wicker. We also have many other options including carved designs and painted caskets, as well as personalised picture caskets using images that reflect the unique character of the deceased and we hold a range of official and military flags to decorate the casket.
Twentymans fleet of hearses include the ‘Presidential’ hearse, imported from the United States via Australia, as well as a 1983 Chev and the ‘Queen of Hearses’, an immaculate 1939 Chevrolet, that can be provided for transportation with our funeral director clothed in an ensemble of period garments to match.
We encourage you to call in and discuss options for pre-arranging a funeral. This can be a thoughtful and practical step to relieve stress on your loved ones at a difficult time for them. Talk to us about pre-paid funeral plans where funds are held in a trust account and earn interest for you, with no administration fees or charges and are transferable if you move towns.
A service can be held at Grahamstown Chapel, which comfortably seats 200 people and has an exceptional audio and video system, which allows the service to be live streamed at the family’s request. A reception can be held next door at
The Thames on Kirkwood, giving mourners the opportunity to share memories, and continue to celebrate the life of someone they cared about. Complimentary car parking is available for patrons in Kirkwood Street.
Thames Valley Crematory is on Kirkwood Street alongside Forever Pets in the former Judd’s Foundry building. Adrian is delighted to be able to offer local cremations at a significantly reduced price with a new, innovative Human Cremator. To help with the healing process, families are given the opportunity to say a final goodbye at the crematorium, if they so wish.
For those little companions who have a bit more fur and a few more legs, there is Forever Pets to help your beloved pet cross over the rainbow bridge. Using one of the most technically advanced Pet Cremators in the world, Forever Pets has a strong reputation for delivering a truly empathetic, respectful individual pet cremation service with high standards and genuine care.
It is hard when you lose a devoted family member or beloved pet, but there is no one more reliable than the team at Twentymans and Forever Pets to look after you and your family in your time of need.
Adrian
Cert. in Funeral Directing
Managing Director, Adrian has been involved with Twentymans (NZ’s oldest serving Funeral Home) since 1990 and as such has been here to oversee and help almost 10,000 persons that Twentymans has cared for in that time.
Over this time Adrian has implemented huge development programs at Twentymans which included a new Chapel, The Thames on Kirkwood Function Centre, the installation of a human cremator at Thames Valley Crematory and purpose-built pet cremator at Forever Pets.
Adrian is a proud Thamesite, with family connections ranging back to the 1870’s, and whilst living in Thames has been heavily involved in the Community as a Justice of the Peace, involved in Local Government for some 21 years, plus established The Place at the Table Trust to provide a free Christmas community lunch for the past 10 years on Christmas Day. Adrian is also currently the Patron for the Pipes and Drums of Thames Valley. In 2021 Adrian was appointed as the President of the Hauraki Justice of the Peace Association.
Julie
Cert. in Funeral Directing
With a long history of family connections tracing back generations on the Coromandel Peninsula, Julie Catran is our senior Funeral Director, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to our local families for over 25 years. Her maternal great grandfather was an undertaker in Puhoi. Julie is the social coordinator at Twentymans and ensures that staff wellbeing is well looked after.
Kate
Cert. in Funeral Directing
Our longest serving staff member, Kate has years of caring for our grieving families in their time of need, offering an empathic and caring professionalism.
As part of her involvement with Twentymans, Kate takes the afterhours and weekend phone calls when families require our services.
Kate is heavily involved with the St.George the Martyr Church and organises free meals for those in need on Monday nights along with numerous church duties.
Amba
Cert. in Travel (AUT)
After years of pleas from Adrian for someone from the family to work at Twentymans, Amba took one for the team and looks after the accounts and other office roles, however, finds funerals too sad to attend! Amba enjoys time with her husband and two school age children; attending school sports games, as well as spending time in Hauraki on their sailing catamaran.
Rochelle
Cert. in Floristry
Both our mortuary manager and funeral director, Rochelle hails from Tauranga originally where she learnt her skills working in the industry before honing them here at Twentymans. Rochelle has a keen interest in horse trekking when time and family commitments allow.
Phillipa
Born and bred in Thames, Phillipa, a trainee Funeral Director, has come to us after many years abroad, and also she is at the end of the phone to receive your call and advise on steps to be taken when a loved one passes. Also an avid animal lover, Phillipa is also our Forever Pets designated staff member, dealing with fur baby family’s needs. You may see Phillipa out and about collecting pets from various veterinary practices in the VW pet hearse.
Max
Cert. of Embalming
Max has had many years of experience in the Funeral Industry starting at WH Tongue some years ago. He was awarded the Erebus Medal for working on crash victims on Mt Erebus. Max is now retired and is an on call back up Funeral Director for Twentymans.
Twentymans Main Office
Forever Pets Crematorium
Customer Carpark
Thames Valley Crematory
Grahamstown Chapel
The Thames on Kirkwood Function Centre
Committed to the community longer than any other funeral business in New Zealand
CONTACT US
P: 07 868 6003
E: funerals@twentymans.co.nz
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