People you can depend on to go the extra mile
At James R. Hill, our funeral directors are very much part of the community and are dedicated to providing a professional and caring service.
To find out more about the extra care our team offers, please phone (07) 855 5541.
Mark Reinsfield
Manager of James R Hill, Mark Reinsfield has been a funeral director for the last eight years and has a National Diploma in Funeral Services. Mark is a member of the FDANZ and also NZEA. “Coming to Hills is like coming back to my home turf,” Mark says. “I grew up in the Fairfield suburb, went to school at Fairfield Primary, Fairfield Intermediate and Fairfield College.” Before becoming a funeral director, Mark had a variety of professions, including, welding, farming, sales. He was also the pastor of a church in the Manawatu and then Whangarei. In his spare time he can be found playing a round of golf or fishing. Mark and Wendy have been married for 34 years they have four adult children and 11 grandchildren.
Graham Hallam
A funeral director for the past 25 years, Graham has recently stepped down as manager of James R Hill to take things a bit easier and work four days a week. Graham is a registered funeral director and attends many training sessions. He has been a Justice of the Peace for 20 years and continues his role as a funeral and marriage celebrant. A family man with three adult children and eight grandchildren, Graham and his wife Susan have been married for 49 years and together ran the Hills funeral business from 1989 until 1997, helping many local families during their time of loss. Graham enjoys his community involvement through the Freemasons.
Stan Stout
Stan Stout joined James R Hill Funeral Directors in 1972 after training at the San Francisco Mortuary College. He is a qualified funeral director and embalmer and a foundation member of the New Zealand Embalmers’ Association (formed 40 years ago) and a member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Services, an elite American funeral society. During his career Stan has been involved in several New Zealand disasters and was awarded the Erebus medal. Stan continues to offer his knowledge to the many students he meets as a tutor and practical examiner Stan has been married to Konetta for 50 years. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.
David Rush
Dave’s long-term wish to be a funeral director came to fruition when he started working at James R Hill in 2001. He has a Diploma in Embalming and will graduate with a Diploma in Funeral Directing this year. Formerly a qualified plasterer who managed his own business for many years, Dave was moved by the poverty and difficulties people faced in South Africa during a trip there with his son’s rugby team and decided it was time for a career change. With the support of his family and his wife Annette he moved into the funeral profession. Dave and Annette have been married for 36 years and live on a lifestyle block just out of Hamilton. His interests include fishing, cooking, the beach, all sports, and a day at the races with friends.
Michael Robb
Mike has worked for Hills for the past three years assisting with funerals but mainly working on installing and restoring our headstones and plaques. A qualified bricklayer and blocklayer who specialised in stonemasonry, Mike is passionate about creating showpiece monumental work in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. He became interested in the funeral profession after suffering a personal loss in his life. He is engaged to be married to Sara and together they have two Labradors and love the challenge of extreme sports.