“We pride ourselves on the very high level of service we provide and are mobile funeral directors, so we can come to you, which can make organising a funeral just that little bit easier.”
A farewell can happen anywhere that feels right - the Harewood or Canterbury Crematorium Chapels, a church, your home, a graveside, or somewhere entirely personal to your loved one. Our Memories Lounge is also available for smaller gatherings, with space to sit together, share a cup of tea, and take a breath.
We're mobile, which means we can come to you. There's no need to come to us if that feels like too much right now.
Serving Canterbury since 1876.
We began as G Barrell & Sons - and for over 145 years, Canterbury families have trusted us through some of the hardest moments of their lives. In 2013 we became part of the Simplicity Funerals family, bringing a fresh approach to work that has always been rooted in the same thing: genuine, unhurried care.
If you have questions - about arrangements, costs, or pre-planning your own funeral - we're here. Just call us.
Our Team
Jamie Harvey – Manager & Funeral Director
Dip FD. Reg FD. (FDANZ)
Jamie came to funeral directing the way many people do - through loss. After two family members died. In 2011 he found himself drawn to this work, not as a career pivot, but as a calling.
Since then, he's guided families through some of the hardest days of their lives - in Christchurch, Nelson, and Oamaru - always with the same quiet belief that good care isn't something you deliver. It's something you listen your way into.
Jamie and his husband Karl are Cantabrians at heart. After years working across the South Island, coming back to Christchurch felt like coming home - and they're making the most of it, exploring the city and the wider region, and spending time with the people they love.
That instinct - to be present, to pay attention, to make people feel genuinely heard - is what Jamie brings to every family he works with at Simplicity.
Nina Andrews – Assistant Manager & Funeral Director
Dip FD. Reg FD. (FDANZ)
Some people find their way into this work. Nina always knew it was where she was headed.
She took the long road - raising her family, relocating from Tauranga to Christchurch, building a life - and stepped into the profession in 2014 with a clarity that's never wavered. She has a natural ability to meet people exactly where they are. Whoever walks through the door, whatever their background, Nina has a way of making them feel understood.
For Nina, a farewell should feel like the person it's for. Her role is simply to listen carefully enough to make that happen.
Outside of work, she gives a lot of herself to dog rescue and animal welfare - fostering, volunteering, and showing up for animals that need someone in their corner. It says something about who she is.
Nina's adult daughter has followed her into the profession, which is a quiet kind of legacy. Alongside Jamie, she leads, supports, and helps grow the team here at Simplicity - and takes that responsibility seriously.
Renee Henare – Funeral Director
“He ngākau aroha, he ngākau māhaki tōku e ārahi ana i taku mahi ia rā”
A heart of compassion and a humble spirit guide me in my work each day.
Renée returned home to Aotearoa in 2023 after 26 years in Australia - coming back to her people, her place, and, as it turned out, to this work. She is a mother of four and grandmother of nine. That life - full, layered, marked by love is exactly what she brings into the room with every family she meets.
Renée joined the Simplicity team as our administrator and quickly developed a passion for funeral directing and supporting whānau during their hardest days comes naturally to her, not because it's easy, but because she understands what it means to grieve. She walks alongside people with a steadiness that can't be taught.
She brings a growing knowledge of tikanga Māori to her role - held with care and genuine humility, and a quiet commitment to always learning more.
"I approach this journey with respect and openness, ensuring whānau feel understood, supported, and held with dignity."
“Every whānau I meet, every loved one I care for, and every story I am privileged to hear reminds me why I am here — to serve with integrity, empathy, and aroha”.
Matthew Smith – Funeral Director
Matthew came to funeral directing from within - starting as a funeral assistant, learning the work from the ground up, and stepping forward when he was ready.
There's something in that path that shows. He doesn't rush. He listens. He understands that every family is different, and that real care means following their lead rather than a script.
Matthew guides families through each step of the process with a quietness and steadiness that people tend to remember long after the day itself.
Away from work, he writes and performs music - a creative life that, in its own way, probably makes him better at this one. Both ask the same thing: to pay attention to what people need to feel, and to help them feel it.
Karyn Couzins – Administrator
Karyn has been part of the Simplicity team for a couple of years now, and the difference that kind of steadiness makes - especially in this work - is hard to overstate.
She brings 20 years of administrative experience to a role that quietly holds everything together. Behind every smooth, well-run funeral is someone making sure nothing falls through the cracks. For the families we serve, that matters more than they'll ever know.
Karyn also has a real skill for creating the slideshows that accompany so many of our farewells - bringing together photos, memories, and music into something families treasure long after the day. She approaches it with care and a genuine flair that shows.
Outside of work, she's kept thoroughly busy by her three boys and their sporting commitments - and when she gets a moment to herself, she makes the most of it with friends and family around her.