(02) 5527 8144 [email protected]

Tender funerals Mid North Coast

OUR STAFF 

Samuel Clowes

General Manager

Sam is passionate about death care and believes that funerals should be honest, compassionate and accessible to everyone. With a strong commitment to transparency and education, Sam works to demystify funeral processes and support people to make informed choices at one of the most unique times of their lives.

Sam is the General Manager of Tender Funerals Mid North Coast and the Franchise Development and Compliance Lead for Tender Funerals Australia., as well as running our national RTO. Sam holds formal training in mortuary operations, forensic medical science and mortuary practices, and is currently considering postgraduate study. Alongside his operational roles, Sam is involved in workforce development and education, including the design and delivery of nationally recognised training for funeral professionals.

At the heart of Sam’s work is a belief that good death care is about people, community and dignity. Whether supporting families, mentoring new funeral directors, or developing community-led funeral services, Sam is driven by the idea that meaningful funerals do not need to be expensive, rushed or impersonal.

Megan Baker

Community Wellbeing | Assistant Manager

Megan Baker, a compassionate funeral director, found her calling through personal loss and community service. Seeing the importance of affordable and meaningful farewells, Megan channels her dedication into guiding families through the delicate process of honouring their loved ones.

After experiencing the profound grief of losing her son, Kai, in 2016, Megan embarked on a mission to empower others in navigating the journey of death and grief. With a background in counselling and event planning, Megan supports the crafting of meaningful funerals that reflect the essence of those who have passed and the needs and wishes of families.

Megan provides tailored support to families during their most vulnerable moments. Grateful to work for an organisation with such a vital purpose, Megan is committed to handing the process of death and dying back to the community in the ways they want and need.

Merryl Simpson

Funeral Director

Merryl’s passion for Tender Funerals was ignited during a volunteering role, where she fell in love with Tender’s heart-centred approach to funeral care.  Relocating from Brisbane to work as a Funeral Director with the team felt like an essential next step in her vision to create sacred and safe spaces for people to be with their grief and loss, and to encourage a remembering of death and dying as a natural part of our human experience.  

Walking with grief in her own life has gifted Merryl a reverence for our capacity as humans to hold great challenge alongside regenerative qualities of beauty and joy.    A lifetime of connecting to Nature and prior professional experience in Education, the Healing Arts, and running her own retreat venue, Merryl loves to slow down and honour the unique stories of all those she meets.  Merryl is dedicated to bringing her authenticity, deep listening and warmth to every person in our care and to all families she supports.

Jade Shelley

Funeral Director

For Jade, funeral service has been a calling since a very age—grounded in a deep respect for life, remembrance, and the importance of supporting others. That early passion has grown into a lifelong commitment to serving families and strengthening the community during times of loss.

As a funeral director, Jade is known for compassion, approachability, and a genuine dedication to the people they serve. Each family is treated with care, patience, and understanding, with the goal of creating meaningful services that reflect the individual and bring comfort to those left behind.

Deeply invested in the local community, Jade believes that a funeral home is more than a place of service—it is a place of trust, connection, and support. Through personalized care, community involvement, and a steady presence, Jade strives to help families honor their loved ones while reminding them they are not alone.

Ayden Thompson

Funeral and Mortuary Assistant

Ayden has quickly shown a quiet strength, deep compassion, and a true desire to grow. Beginning from work placement here at Tender, he has adapted to the compassionate, open and caring environment Tender inherits.

Now in his first official role as Admin Assistant, and having an interest in computer-based work,  Ayden is not only supporting our team with care and dedication but also beginning a personal journey in hopes of learning to connect to others through shared experiences surrounding grief and overcoming hardship.

OUR DIRECTORS

Neil Brown

Chair

Neil has had an extensive career in designing and delivering effective communications across multiple media platforms. Over the past 20 years, he held senior positions in media, PR, marketing and communications for TAFE NSW on the North Coast and as a result has established a good insight into the needs, interests and dynamics of its growing communities. He brings to the board knowledge and experience in strategic communication and effective marketing and PR for small, medium and large enterprises. He has also held company director and board positions for commercial, not-for-profit and government entities.

Kim Dahler

Director

Kim has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 35 years – starting in Sydney and returning to the beautiful Mid North Coast in 2005, where she worked as a Regional Executive until her resignation in 2021.

Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 13 years ago, focussed her attention on the local Port Macquarie Parkinsons Support Group which she has led since 2021 and more broadly, created an interest in the NFP Sector.

‘I remember watching a program some time ago about the Funeral Industry and the ‘practices’ of some providers – it was quite a shock and something I’ve never forgotten.

Having a reputable Funeral Business such as Tender, start in my own town, was an opportunity for me to continue my Community contributions and be part of a very special ‘commitment’ to respect and care for, those that we have lost.

Maura Luxford

Director

Maura Luxford brings over three decades of local knowledge and professional expertise to the Macleay Valley community and Mid North Coast more broadly. 
 She has lived in the region for 33 years, raising her family during that time. Maura is deeply committed to the well-being and growth of the are, and her career in vocational education spans almost 25 years with TAFENSW, where she has made significant contributions in community development and fostering empowerment within the community.
As the founder and director of the successful social enterprise ride for a ride4acure
Maura has demonstrated both leadership and compassion. Through her long-distance treks on horseback and pushbike, she has raised funds and awareness for melanoma research, combining her love of adventure with her dedication to meaningful causes. Her efforts have inspired many and shed light on an important issue.
Maura’s creative spirit is reflected in her published works as an author. Outside her professional and charitable endeavors, she enjoys nurturing her garden and embarking on motorbike adventures. 
Maura holds positions on several other boards in the Mid North Coast, focusing on the education and training sector. Her passion for community, creativity, and innovation makes her an exceptional candidate for the Tender Funerals Mid North Coast Board Director position within a not-for-profit funeral business, where she brings a wealth of experience, a heartfelt commitment, and a vision for delivering impactful service.

Ginny Stein

Director

Ginny Stein is an award-winning multimedia journalist and editorial manager with extensive cross-cultural experience in designing and implementing transformation strategies and in corporate communications. From foreign correspondent and video journalist in Asia and Africa and beyond, to disaster management and response, her career has been rich and varied. Her years abroad have opened her eyes to how death is deeply cultural, but that culture is forever evolving and changing.
Stein grew up in Port Macquarie and currently spends her time between her hometown and Sydney.

Rosemary Rae

Director

Rosemary returned “home” to the Port Macquarie area in 2020 and immediately began her journey with Tender Funerals. Having been a dedicated volunteer for several years, she was drawn to Tender’s unique mission: providing deeply personal, meaningful ceremonies while actively involving and supporting the community to make a positive impact on people and on the industry.
This move follows a distinguished 25-year corporate career, most recently as a global Learning and Development leader with Jurlique International. Her background spans multi-site retail management, generalist HR, and L&D strategy, always with a focus on partnership, cultural transformation, and providing leaders with the tools to thrive. As a trained Funeral Celebrant, she blends her executive experience with the empathy and compassion gained through her work at Tender.
Rosemary is committed to supporting the team at Tender Funerals Mid North Coast in delivering their incredible service and fostering a stronger, more connected community.

Stephen Prohm

Public Officer

Steve’s extensive military background provided him with solid skills in logistics and human resources. Besides working in the shipbuilding sector, Steve was lucky to find himself working with people to ensure quality, environmental and safety, and then found his true passion for helping through the compensation and rehabilitation scheme for injured workers.

Steve has supported Not-For-Profit organisations including Early Childhood and Equine Therapy programs for “Children at Risk” and vulnerable young adults transitioning into the workforce. Steve was an active volunteer for BlaizeAid which helped him secure a specialised role at Lifeline Mid Coast where he stayed for the next decade.

Through supporting people in crisis, Steve’s core values of providing best practice in suicide support, now exists in his passion for normalising talk about suicide. 

Steve moved into a part time role at Lifeline which saw him assist in outreach, recovery and resilience activities in various bushfire effected communities

Steve is honoured to share Tender Funerals Mid North Coast’s mission.