Samantha Kudeweh Family Trust

Hiya

I know that there are a few people in NZ and many overseas who could not be at the funeral on Monday.

Below are the opening and closing words from the celebrant and the service listing.

Sam's service - Opening & Closing

1. Welcome and introduction

Good afternoon, and thank you for coming here today to share in this celebration of the life – and what a life! – of my friend and yours, Samantha Lynda Kudeweh. So many people have travelled so far to be here today, including those of you who have come from Australia including of course Richard’s mum, dad & brothers. Welcome to you all – the fact that you are here tells us you loved Sam, and accordingly you are amongst friends.

Can I also pass on the family's gratitude for the wrap around love and support they have received from friends and the community over the past week. From the home baked meals and treats, through the Scouts popping around to mow the lawns, offers of accomodation for out of town friends and family, to the mountain of groceries delivered by the school, the support has been practical and unstinting. Thank you, thank you,thank you.

And so to Sam, and today's celebration of an amazing life.

Today is a sad day. The saddest of days. Feel free to weep, to sob if you will - that's what today is for. There will also be laughter, because we have some beautiful stories of Sam and she had, above all else, a sense of humour. through your tears and sadness, feel also a great pride and joy that we were privileged to know an amazing woman in our Sam.

Sam was always Sam, but we all saw different parts of Sam. Today we will strive to create a mosaic of the myriad parts of Sam, the stories about her that each of us carry.

Parting is always hell, be it after twenty three or forty three or ninety three years – but our parting from Sam has been so sudden, so unexpected and so traumatic that it is hard to get past the bewilderment we all feel at our awful loss and reflect on the beauty of the life that preceded that shock.

So what we’d like to do today is to focus on the beauty that was Sam, to share as much as we can of the parts of Sam that all of us here today have with us – so when we leave here today we carry as much of her with us as we can store away in our hearts.

All of you know Sam’s self effacing nature – despite being one of the smartest, funniest, talented and compassionate people I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing, Sam hated a fuss. Most especially a fuss about her, and as Richard was reflecting the other day, she would be astonished and perhaps a little horrified to find herself the centre of attention as she is today. We, of course, consider it nothing less than her due – we are undone, and we need this goodbye to be able to go forward without her.

We will begin with a reflection on Sam’s life from Judy Stephens, the wonderful woman who gave us our Sammy in the first place. Following Judy, friends who have shared chapters in Sam’s life will share their Sam with us, and finally her husband Richard will speak. With the time we have left following that we will have time for others in the congregation to share a few memories of Sam with us as well.

2. Eulogy – Judy Stephens

3. Tributes from family & close friends:

? Catherine and Ross Nichols

Amazing friends of Sam & Richard who have been absolute rocks for Sam & Richard both in life and in the recent most difficult of days.

? Desiree and Fraser Stephens

Sam’s sister and brother.

? Rachael O’Sullivan

My little sister, and a close friend of Sam’s, Rachael & Sam flatted together for over seven years, bought appalling furniture together and hosted some memorable parties.

? Kevin O’Sullivan

My dad, and another who loved Sam.

? Denise Calver

Part of the tight group of friends Sam formed at university

? Laurie Pond

One of Sam’s first mentors in the zoo keeping world, Laurie and partner Manu have travelled from Queensland to be with us today.

? Stephen Standley

Stephen Standley is the General Manager of Hamilton Zoo

? Her Worship the Mayor, Julie Hardaker

? Richard Kudeweh

4. Open Tributes

We have about [fifteen minutes] spare, and we would like to use this time to share a little more of Sam.

5. Photographic Tribute

6. Closing

Thank you, all of you, for those magnificent personal memories of Sam. We are approaching the end of our time here today – soon we will close the ceremony and take Sam to the car which awaits to carry her on her final journey.

And so we close this service for Samantha Kudeweh - but we will never close our love for Sam. Sam was mother, wife, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, friend; thinker, singer, musician, conservationist, scientist – so many facets of her to miss. Sam, you have left us in body but you will never leave us in spirit. You here today, who loved her – do things in memory of Sam, keep her alive in our hearts. Watch a dung beetle go about its life and be fascinated, sponsor a blue penguin, plant a tree, lead a conservation project; call Richard, send Sage and Billy a postcard from afar; pick up that phone, send that email, make that call, hug that friend. Drink the good stuff, now, with people you love. The singer has gone, but the song remains. Samantha by name and Sam by nature, au revoir. We will see you again in the things you loved – the earth, the sea, the sky, the wind, the sun and the moon. Go well, our dearest Sam. We will always love you.

7. Recessional