Our Team
We regard our staff as our most important asset. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences and together make up a comprehensive team, who relate well to each other as well as to our clients.
The Pellows staff all consider it an honour and privilege to care for and support families at a time when they are most vulnerable. To them their job is a vocation from which they gain a deep sense of satisfaction.
William Eagar-Savage
Manager
Coming from a family line of funeral directors, William brings a wealth of experience to the role. William’s grandfather was a cabinet maker who became a funeral director after his trade saw him making an increasing number of caskets. This business was eventually taken over by William’s father, with William joining the business in 2004. William joined the team at Pellows in 2012, where he worked until familial obligations called him back home. He now returns to take up the role of manager.
“I’ve always loved Hamilton, so I’m happy to be able to join the Pellows team once more. Looking after families is at the core of everything we do as funeral directors. It’s important to us to be there for people as they say goodbye to loved ones, and that we do everything we can to make that process as smooth and respectful as possible. I hope I can become a strong support to the local Hamilton families we work with – we are here to serve.”
William moves back to Hamilton alongside his partner and three dogs, Sophie, Harry and George.
Nikki Whittington
Funeral Director
Nikki commenced her career as a Funeral Director in the UK before moving to New Zealand 10 years ago. More recently she has been raising her 2 children before coming to join the Pellows team.
Outside of work Nikki is involved with her children’s extra-curricular activities and also enjoys horse riding and all things equestrian.
CJ Egan
Embalmer
CJ has been involved in the funeral industry since 2002. CJ spent 14 years as a sexton at Hamilton park cemetery before joining the Pellows team to increase his knowledge and experience of the funeral industry. CJ is an extremely keen outdoorsman and enjoys hunting fishing camping and gardening in his spare time.
Alvin Mataiti
Funeral Director
I have always valued being of service to the community and in the light of losing my mother some years ago, I too wanted to help families in their hour of need. This has become a new found passion for me. I am married to a registered nurse and we have two daughters and I thoroughly enjoy spending quality time with my family. Moving from Wellington 8 years ago has been an ambitious, but encouraging move for our family and we are glad to call Waikato our home.
Dillon Makata
Funeral Director
With over a decade of experience in customer service, Dillon transitioned to a more fulfilling role as a Funeral Director at Pellows, bringing a compassionate touch and deep empathy to his work. Having moved from Auckland to Hamilton, Dillon balances his professional life with his cherished role as a husband and father of four. His commitment to providing thoughtful, personalized care ensures that every family receives the support and respect they need during difficult times.
Sue Hanlon
Office Administrator
I joined the funeral industry in 2014 and quickly realised that I found the industry that I had long wanted to work in.
I love the contact with the families and being able to support them in a very vulnerable time of their lives.
I feel it’s a privileged position and it humbles me on most day watching our funeral directors connect with our families and the trust that the families put in us to hold and guide them to the funeral that the family are choosing to have.