About us

A Family Business, 
Built on Care

At North East Funerals, we believe that compassion, flexibility, and genuine care should be at the heart of every funeral service. As the only locally owned and operated funeral home in Wangaratta, we’re proud to support families across North East Victoria during some of life’s most difficult moments.

North East Funerals caring team of local funeral directors proudly serving Wangaratta, King Valley, and Alpine Region families.

Our story

Founded on a long tradition of funeral service,  first as Bell Brothers, then Matthew Ryan Funerals, and later Tate Funerals, our business became North East Funerals in 2018 under the care of John and Christine Haddrick.

In 2023, their daughter Katrina and her husband Ben joined the family business, continuing a legacy of trusted, personal service.

Our philosophy

We’re here to help you say goodbye in a way that feels right - whether that means a quiet, intimate service or a large, vibrant celebration. Every family is different. Every farewell is unique.

Our job is to support your choices with sensitivity, professionalism, and the attention to detail you deserve.

We’re proud to be accredited members of the Australian Funeral Directors Association (AFDA), upholding the highest standards of ethical and professional service.

Meet our team

We are a close-knit team who treat every family with the same care and respect we’d offer our own. Each of us is here to guide, support, and help you create a meaningful tribute that reflects your loved one’s life.

John Haddrick
Owner & Care Consultant
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As the Owner and Director, John brings a wealth of experience and is a compassionate anchor for the team. He's known for his grounded and reassuring presence.


'I want the people who walk through our doors to feel deeply cared for and listened to,'
says John. John's vision has always been clear: 'I knew from the beginning that our person-centered approach would be what set us apart from the bigger funeral companies.'


'We're the only family-owned funeral home in Wangaratta and the Alpine Region, and we take great pride in being able to uniquely cater to each family's needs.'



Under John's thoughtful leadership, our team has grown carefully, nurturing a culture that retains what makes us special.

Christine Haddrick
Owner
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Kat Watts
General Manager & Care Consultant.
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Kat comes from a background in social work, most recently in palliative care. Her experience supporting people at the end of life helps her guide families in creating meaningful, personal funerals. Conscientious and caring, Kat looks after the wellbeing of both the family and their loved one. She brings dedication and ambition to North East Funerals, proudly following in her father’s footsteps.

‘My parents have created an incredible team that have the care of our community front of mind always. It’s not lost on me the amount of trust a family instils in us to look after their loved one and I will do everything I can to help people plan the funeral that feels right for them.’

Sharon Bihun
Care Consultant
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After a long career in supporting those in crisis, Sharon brings the
same values of empowerment, choice and person-centred care to her
role. Always reassuring, conscientious, Sharon is attentive to the
needs of our clients and always goes above and beyond to ensure their
loved ones wishes are carried out. Her experience as a celebrant helps
to ensure our clients' services are officiated in a way that is
meaningful to them.

"Taking the time to explain things clearly and openly helps clients
make the choices that are right for them".

Chris Walker
Care Consultant & Mortuary Technician
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No one cares more about the gentle, natural way we care for the deceased
than Chris. He runs our beautiful mortuary and thoughtfully oversees
and supports all family members that want to be involved in the after
care of their loved one, in relation to washing and dressing of their
family member.


Chris brings a warm, empathetic and practical approach to his role and
he is a familiar face to many of our clients as he is often the person
behind the video camera who is ensuring those from afar can watch the
funeral too.

"I came with no expectations — except that I knew I didn’t want to
work with a very traditional funeral director. I’m glad I ended up at
North East Funerals, since they have their own mortuary, we can care
for the client from the beginning to the end and most importantly, the
way the family wants".

Elise Oates
Office Manager & Care Consultant
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Her supportive and calm approach may be one of the first voices you hear when you contact North East Funerals or who welcomes you when you walk through our doors.



Elise keeps everything running smoothly and efficiently at North East Funerals,
 Elise brings the spirit of care, energy, love of her work and dedication to our clients.

"Most people are surprised when I tell them what I do, because I'm
younger than they might expect someone working in the funeral industry
to be, I don't fit the stereotypical picture in their minds. It's
still considered a niche job."

What our clients say

North East Funerals recently took care of the funeral arrangements for my grandfather and we highly recommend their service. Sharon Chris and team were professional, empathetic and ever so caring throughout the entire process. They went above and beyond to ensure our experience was the best possible. We will be forever grateful and thankful for the job they did during an extremely difficult time.

Nathan M.
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As many families do, we found ourselves in a state of shock when we lost my mum.From the very first conversation I had with Chris he showed compassion and professionalism.From the home visit, as my dad was injured, and the gentle follow up emails to keep us on track the process was efficient and handled with care.We were very happy with the service and I believe my mum would have been too.Thank you Chris and the team.

Tanya Kennedy
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North East Funerals, thankyou from me to you for the beautiful service you provided on the day we said our goodbyes to my little sister.. Both her daughters are extremely grateful for the care you took of their mum.. before and after her private cremation. Highly recommended.

Donna Stanimirovitch

I would highly recommend North East Funerals. The assistance and care provided by Kat when my husband Alex and I first went to enquire and plan his Funeral was exceptional and made the planning so much easier.A big thank you to both Kat and Chris for for helping me with all the final arrangements for Alex' Farewell which was special.

Karyn Cogdell

On behalf of Deverell family we are so grateful to Sharen and staff for there compassionate and support provided for daughter Karens funeral. Thank you Helen. Megan Emma

Helen Deverell

Thoughtful Guidance When It Matters Most