Gentle guidance, thoughtful ceremonies,
and support when it matters most
Kathie Shearer
Funeral & Memorial Celebrant
It is my honour to be able to speak for those who don’t have a voice
Melbourne funeral and
memorial ceremonies
When someone we love dies, words can feel hard to find. Decisions come quickly, emotions sit close to the surface, and families are often navigating unfamiliar territory.
Kathie Shearer is a funeral celebrant who brings calm, clarity, and compassion to this time. With decades of experience in end-of-life care and ceremony, she helps families create services that are personal, respectful, and deeply meaningful.
Whether you’re planning ahead or arranging a service for someone you’ve just lost, Kathie walks beside you — listening carefully, honouring what matters, and helping shape a farewell that feels right.
Ceremonies shaped
with care —
Types of ceremonies
Funeral ceremonies don’t have to follow a traditional format or take place in a formal setting. A farewell can be as gentle, simple, or celebratory as the person it honours.
Kathie works with families to create services in places that feel meaningful — whether that’s at home, in a garden or park, at a local hall, on the beach, or in a more traditional chapel. The focus is always on what feels right for your loved one and the people gathering to remember them. Kathie can assist with:
Traditional funerals
Memorial services
Celebration-of-life ceremonies
Graveside services
Ash-scattering ceremonies
Living or pre-planned funerals
Non-religious or lightly spiritual services
About Kathie Shearer
Few people appreciate life’s journey more than Kathie Shearer. Through an anthology of personal and professional experiences, Kathie’s understanding and appreciation of life and death comes not from theory, but from living it.
Kathie has built a remarkable career as a sports media professional, public speaker, and for over twenty years a funeral celebrant. She is also the wife of Australian PGA champion Bob Shearer and author of Last Orders: The Ultimate Guide to Dying Happy.
A life well lived brings a rare blend of professional experience and genuine warmth to her work as a funeral celebrant. Her approach is calm, thoughtful, and deeply personal — never scripted, never rushed, and always centred on the life being honoured.
Over the years, Kathie has supported hundreds of families through loss, helping them find the words, stories, and rituals that feel right for their person. She understands that grief is different for everyone, and she creates space for each family’s experience, beliefs, and relationships to be acknowledged with care.
What to expect when
working with Kathie
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An in -person meeting to understand your needs, wishes, and the person being honoured.
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Kathie spends time with family and loved ones, listening to memories, stories, and the details that made your person unique.
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Together, you shape the tone, structure, readings, music, and rituals to suit your family and your loved one’s life.
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Kathie leads the ceremony with warmth, dignity, and calm, holding space for grief, reflection, and remembrance.
Get in touch with Kathie
For a gentle conversation about your needs, or to start planning a service, please reach out to Kathie.
Kathie is based in and conducts ceremonies in Melbourne, Victoria.