Our people

Funeral Director (Dip FS MNZEA)

Bridget Hoult (nee Day), alongside her husband Bevan, represents the fourth generation of the Day family entrusted with the stewardship of Day’s Funeral Services, succeeding her father Francis in this noble calling. 

Bridget’s immersion in the funeral services industry began in her formative years, as she assisted her grandmother with catering and cleaning hearses while still in school. She takes great pride in the fact that their company was the first in New Zealand to introduce catering at funeral services and one of the very early funeral homes to provide a bereavement support service to families. Following her schooling, Bridget ventured abroad, spending a decade teaching in England. However, her heart remained connected to her family’s legacy, and she returned to Nelson with renewed vigour and commitment to continue the tradition of compassionate care and dignified service. Bridget is both a qualified Embalmer and Funeral Director and was the first woman in Nelson to be awarded the National Diploma in Funeral Services.

Funeral Director (JP, Dip FS MNZEA)

Meanwhile, Bevan a Funeral Director with over two decades of experience, brings his expertise and compassionate approach to Marsden House Funeral Services. He sees his role not merely as a job but as a calling, exemplified by his Diploma in Funeral Services and qualifications in embalming. Bevan’s dedication to serving grieving families with empathy and support is unwavering, reflecting his deep-rooted belief in the importance of honouring life’s milestones with dignity and respect. 

Together, Bevan and Bridget embody a shared commitment to their community and profession. They find joy in spending time with their grown children and grandchildren, cherishing every precious moment together as a family. 

Guided by their shared values of compassion, respect, and integrity, Bridget and Bevan are honoured and humbled to walk alongside families during their most difficult times, offering support and comfort when it is needed most. 

In their hands, the legacy of compassionate funeral service continues, as they honour the past while embracing the future with hope and grace.

Consultant (FBIE, Nat Dip FS)

Francis believes in bringing the highest standards of professionalism to his calling. He is mindful of the philosophy, values and tradition of serving Nelson, inherited by him down a continuous four-generation line. Francis aims to pass on those values and philosophy through his own family, with his wife Paddy, and children Bridget and Patrick, who are all involved in the business – his youngest son Michael has a career in Accounting and Business Management. Francis qualified in 1966 in Australia as an embalmer and has since tutored for the embalming course for the Central Institute of Technology. He has served as president and examiner for the Embalmers Association and is a life member of that association. Francis is the long serving chairman of the Funeral Services Training Trust. 

One of only four Nelsonians qualified with a NZQA Diploma in Funeral Service, and holds a Fellowship Degree of the British Institute of Embalmers, Francis strongly believes in providing a warm, professional and supportive atmosphere in which to farewell the deceased. He says funerals are for the living, where you pay your respects to the dead – remember them but also reaffirm your faith, creed or philosophy and give you assistance to cope with your loss.

Funeral Director (Dip FD)

Born and raised in Gore, Southland, Liz brings over a decade of experience to her role. She successfully owned and operated her own funeral home in Gore for 11 years before relocating to Nelson with her family. In 2014, Liz earned her Funeral Directing Diploma and now proudly serves as part of the team at Marsden House. 

“I enjoy meeting people from all sides of life, often at a time when they are vulnerable and in need of guidance – it is a privilege to help and support families, and to develop a relationship with every family.” Liz finds one of the most rewarding aspects of being a Funeral Director is helping to facilitate families in saying goodbye to their loved ones and helping them create a meaningful farewell. 

In her downtime Liz enjoys going to the gym, gardening, her Maine Coon cats, spending time with family and taking one of their cars to the car shows with her husband.

Trainee Funeral Director

Laura is proud to be the fifth generation of the Day family to serve in the funeral profession, following in the footsteps of her parents, Bridget and Bevan Hoult. Growing up in the industry, she has witnessed firsthand the dedication, compassion, and care that go into supporting families during their most difficult times.

Beyond her role in the funeral profession, Laura has always had a love for sport. She has been a competitive player in both hockey and football, bringing the same commitment, teamwork, and discipline from the field into her work.

Being part of a family-owned and operated funeral home means a great deal to Laura. She understands that every farewell is unique and deeply personal, and she is dedicated to ensuring that each family she works with receives the guidance and support they need to honour their loved one in the way that feels right for them.

Whether assisting with pre-planning, arranging services, or offering support in times of grief, Laura is committed to making a difference in the lives of the families she serves. With her deep family roots in the funeral profession and her personal passion for helping others, she is honoured to continue this tradition and serve the community with compassion and care.

Funeral Assistant & Trainee Enbalmer

Lisa relocated to Nelson in late 2023 where she started her role as a funeral assistant and trainee embalmer.

Since starting, Lisa has found the role of being an embalmer very rewarding and feels honored to give families the opportunity to say a peaceful goodbye, offering a sense of comfort and closure during such a difficult time.

Outside of work Lisa is very health oriented and is also a nutritionist, has a strong passion for CrossFit, enjoys outdoor activities such as biking and running, is a self proclaimed foodie, loves adventure, travel and spending time with her two little dogs, Opie and Donnie.

Funeral Assistant

Lisa was born and raised in Gore, Southland. She relocated to Richmond in 2024 with her partner and her teenage daughter. Prior to their move, Lisa worked as a caregiver in rest homes, and enjoyed the responsibility of taking care of somebody else's loved ones. She was also the main caregiver of her elderly mother, who has now also moved up to Richmond and living in a rest home closeby to them.

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys activities engaging with people, spending time with her family, outings with her mum and taking her dogs to the beach for a cooling swim.

Lisa is passionate about her role in the funeral industry, and finds caring for grieving families and friends an honour. She finds it a privilege to be there to support families at this sad and vulnerable time.

Accounts Manager

Brenda was looking for a new challenge after working for Nelson Tasman Kindergartens for 14 and a half years. She saw the advertisement for an administrator at P Day & Son Ltd and pictured herself working as the administrator alongside Funeral Directors. After being an administrator primarily in community-based workplaces for 24 years, Brenda felt that even though funeral homes are not community workplaces, they are helping the community at a grassroots level.

“Working with Bevan and Bridget at the start of their journey with Day’s Funeral Services Ltd is a privilege, and with my accounts experience and ability to connect with families, I am really enjoying being part of a team that continues to help and assist families through an often-tough time in their lives.” 

Brenda has recently purchased her first home and is enjoying the ability to plan and plant her own garden. She wishes for her garden to have mainly edibles and is becoming a passion to research and learn about different fruit trees and vegetables.

Office Administrator / Graphic Designer

After finishing her career with the BNZ where she had been for 17 years, Kirsten decided it was time for a change. “Having grown up in Motueka with the Day family, I knew when I saw the position of Funeral Director advertised that it would be an opportunity to serve the community I knew well and work with a great team” 

Kirsten started as a casual funeral assistant on services both in our Nelson and Golden Bay Motueka areas. During this time she also learnt and covered the office administration duties, so when the time came it was natural for her to step into this position full-time. 

Kirsten is also fast-proving her graphic skills by designing wonderful service sheets and memorial books for the families we support. 

Outside of work, Kirsten is Club Captain for the Nelson Speedway where her husband races in the Superstock class. They both have a keen interest in classic American cars and on weekends when not at the track can be found maintaining their extensively planted lifestyle property.