Old Boy found his calling at a funeral home

Now, James he works alongside the people who first showed him the ropes.

18 year old James gets a few surprised looks when people open the door to find a young man standing alongside a seasoned funeral director.

“They're like, ‘wow, are young people able to be in this profession?’” the Wellington-based Harbour City Funeral Home assistant told RNZ. “I've had someone say to me, ‘oh, you're actually doing your job really well'. I don't know how to respond to that, but be very grateful. It's an honour to be able to serve and stand by those that need us the most.”

Madden’s interest in funerals started early. He was around five when the care shown by directors at his grandfathers’ funeral and tangi left an impression.

“I come from a Māori whānau on my mum's side. Seeing how us, as Māori, carry out tangi and tangihanga, and I noticed how the funeral director was looking after my family… in my head back then, I was like, I could do this to care for other people like how the funeral director cared for my family.”

By 11, he was handing out service sheets at his grandmother’s funeral when the director noticed his interest and later spoke to the company’s then-owner.

“He invited me in to spend my school holidays undertaking work experience to see what it was like and how a funeral home operates. So that was quite eye-opening for me. Ever since that opportunity popped up, I've been spending my school holidays at a funeral home ever since.”

He wasn’t exposed to the deceased until he was about 17. Until then, he washed hearses, prepared caskets, cleaned the chapel and building, shadowed directors and asked for books and reading material.

“The more I came in on my school holidays, the more I felt that this is where I want to be and this is where I can see myself in the future.”

For Madden, it’s never really felt like just a job.

“It's dedication… I’d say a vocation.”

Through the Gateway Programme, which gives senior high school students workplace learning placements, Madden started spending every Friday at the funeral home instead of school.

Then, around August last year, a job came up and his boss recommended him. Within five days, Madden accepted the role and signed out of his final year of school early.

“It all happened very quickly. But I think it happened at the best timing. It's a profession that you have to have compassion, respect and care in your roles too, and being genuine as well, just being yourself and looking after the families when they need it the most and supporting them and giving them that guidance that they need and being there and saying to them, look, if you need to lean on us, that's what we're here for.

If you have a dream, go for it. Just keep chasing that dream because you never know how far you're going to get if you don't chase it.”