Personal Farewells > Suzanne James

Suzanne Ellen JAMES

23rd December 1943 – 12th November 2021

Much loved wife of Brian.

Adored mother of Andrew and Mandy.

Cherished Nan Sue to Annabelle, Lincoln, Zoe and Leo.

Friend to many.

Funeral Service

Monday 22nd November 2021 at 11.30am

Macquarie Park Cemetery & Crematorium (Cnr Delhi Rd & Plassey Macquarie Park)

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly ask that donations be made to the Australian Alzheimers Research Foundation using the online donation form: https://alzheimers.com.au/support/donate-now/#donate-form

The service will be live-streamed via the following link;

https://streaming.naoca.com.au/e/8c97a5f4-7646-44bf-808e-4ff4fbea993e

Enter Pin: 7826

Google Rating

5.0

Based on 38 reviews

Personal Farewells - Funeral Home, Funeral Directors & Funerals Servicing Sutherland Shire & Wollongong

5.0

Karan Rogers

23:36 12 May 22

Personal Funerals were amazing. From the first phone call with Stephanie everything went smoothly with my Dad’s funeral. She helped us in every step without being intrusive, she listened and guided us to give the funeral Dad would of wanted. Stephanie put us in touch with a beautiful celebrant Sharon Swanbourne who also listened to us and endless stories about Dad so much I have had many people who were at the funeral or watched it ask if Stephanie or Sharon were family friends as they made it so personal. If I could give 10 stars rating I would. Karan Rogers

Peter Williams

22:27 11 May 22

Kelly lee Robbins

08:02 10 May 22

I would like to say a huge thankyou to Personal Farewells after the wonderful send off they provided for my sister last week, Thankyou so much Stephanine you went above & beyong, you and your team were very professional and compassionate.Would highly recommend.

Michael Williams

07:48 10 May 22

We were completely satisfied with Stephanie and her team from Personal Farewells. Highly recommended and happy to provide further feedback should anyone like to reach out.

kellie challinor

03:55 10 May 22

What can I say but thankyou so much.Stephanie you're amazing you helped so much when I lost both my husband and my Mum arranging the memorial thankyou Personal Farewells

Drone Chowdry

00:15 10 May 22

I would on behalf of my family like to extend our sincere thanks to Stephanie and Personal Farewells for the dignified and empathetic manner in which they conducted our father Major General Prem Chowdry's funeral in Sydney in April 2022. It was a difficult time for the family and Stephanie was there holding our hands and guiding us from the start to the final farewell showing sensitivity to the cultural and religious aspects as well as the planning and organisation required for the funeral arrangements. We cannot thanks Stephanie enough for the support and guidance she gave us and I would recommend her to anyone in a similar situation bidding farewell to their loved ones.

Lynne Chapman

14:12 06 May 22

My family found the support provided by Personal Farewells to be professional, sensitive and really supportive right from my initial enquiry, through to all the organisation required to arrange my relative’s funeral service and then managing all the legal documentation required.Stephanie Kelly, the Funeral Director was very responsive to our request for a home visit and was able to reassure my sister that her wishes for her Funeral Service would be genuinely respected. She was empathic, provided helpful information and answered our questions, no matter how trivial.Stephanie provided considerable support and guidance with such practical issues as organising the slide show, music and even researching the availability of the specifically requested coffin. All information provided re costs was clear and transparent, with no unexpected extras. We found the service provided allayed all our anxieties about having to arrange a funeral that was a fitting, memorable and affordable farewell to my sisterMy sister’s wish for a family run Funeral Service that offered a personalised and compassionate service turned out to be a wise decision.I thank Stephanie for her warmth and extensive support with our family’s farewell for my sister.Lynne Chapman

Liko Pepine

13:51 30 Apr 22

It was a phone call with dire news that we received from a selected FD that saw us quickly looking for another Funeral director that would hopefully turn our already stressful situation into one that we had hoped wouldn't be.Stephanie and her team were the epitome of ease, professionalism, compassion and a literal 'always available whenever you need her'. Never too occupied or busy to call back and if we could give her and her team 10 stars we would!. It's the small things that make the difference always making sure my Father's final farewell was not only personal but forever memorable for my family and I. In the chaos of what seemed to be a thousand things to do during my Fathers service Stephanie and her team were there every step of the way..Always in the background always helping where she can. If you're reading this far do yourself a favour and call. You will not regret it! May you also experience a beautiful, memorable and personal farewell for your dear loved ones.

Michele Forrest

05:54 10 Apr 22

We cannot express enough how professional and caring Stephanie and her team were in the arrangement of our precious dads funeral. Our beautiful mother passed away 10 months prior to dads passing and we used Personal Farewells then. We found them so amazing with the planning of mums funeral that it was a no brainer to use them again for dads funeral as we were so confident that everything would be just perfect. They guided us through the whole process with so much compassion and understanding, they bent over backwards to accommodate our every wish which we really appreciated at such a difficult time. They are such beautiful ladies inside and out and now friends 💕🙏💕

Brett Lubben

02:01 07 Apr 22

I wanted to give a very well-deserved thank you to Stephanie at Personal Farewells. Stephanie was recommended to us by a venue, so we met Stephanie on a Monday and told her due to family constraints we would like to hold the service for my mother on the Friday of that week. Despite the short notice, Stephanie got straight to work and with only 3 days to prepare, the service was well arranged and beautiful. She made it as easy as possible for us (the family) and my mother would have been happy with her send off I'm sure. Happy to recommend Stephanie as a true professional and a kind and sincere person. Thank you Stephanie.

Tina Sisak

09:53 06 Mar 22

After speaking with Stephanie the first time I felt comfortable and listened to. She is very caring and a true professional. She helped guide us through this difficult time and was present from beginning to end and then some. I would highly recommend Stephanie and Personal Farewells to anyone needing this service. We appreciate everything you have done for us and could not have asked to be in better hands. Thank you again Stephanie

Raul Gonzales

23:08 01 Feb 22

Thank you so much Stephanie from the first conversation we had to the actual service everything was great and it made our grieving process a much smoother one. I would highly recommend using Personal farewells as they really do add that personal touch and make everything easier.

Leanne Haining

07:37 07 Dec 21

A special thank you to Kate & Stephanie for their assistance in planning my Dad's funeral. From the very first conversation with Kate, we felt like we were in good hands. Kate was available at all times to assist us, she was kind, thoughtful & also bright & bubbly when we needed to laugh. The service was incredibly special, a beautiful celebration of Dad’s life. We were guided every step of the way, from helping choose a celebrant & the gorgeous flowers, designing the memorial book & ensuring our video presentation was just as we wanted it. I would highly recommend Personal Farewells, Kate and Stephanie were wonderful!

Boris granny flat

13:18 05 Oct 21

Very much happy with professional service and help during difficult time. Stephanie did everything possible to support us and solve all our problems. Thank a lot. Boris

Susan Werry

11:48 22 Sep 21

After less than optimal experience with another funeral company in recent times, an online search led me to Personal Farewells. Their service was outstanding. Stephanie guided us through the process with sensitivity. Her kindness and professionalism were greatly appreciated and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Gail Gordon

02:22 16 Sep 21

I was distraught when faced with the task of organising my mother's funeral in May this year. I didn't know of, or have experience with funeral directors. I telephoned several 😔. I was lucky to reach Kate and the rest is happy history. We were compassionately guided throughout the whole process. We met with Kate and her kind, calming, reassuring manner shone throughout the planning of the cremation and the final arrangements.She suggested we might think of alternative venues for the service and wake as we are a very large family and there were Covid restrictions in place. A wonderful decision was made to have the entire service and wake at the beautiful Audley Dancehall - something we had never dreamed was possible. Everything was perfect. Our family felt a beautiful serenity through such a harrowing time.Nothing we could say could truly reflect the admiration and appreciation we have for Kate and Stephanie who both helped us through our saddest days.Thank you with all our hearts❤️❤️

MRS Drea

10:05 01 Aug 21

We can not thank Personal Farewells enough. Kate and Stephanie were both very lovely, informative, helpful and kind to my family and I, at such a difficult time. I would definitely recommend their services.

Karen Lindsay

06:09 01 Aug 21

The greatest relief during the trauma of my mother’s passing, was connecting with Kate from Personal Farewells.From our first phone call, Kate was respectful, informative, compassionate, and professional. We chose to have a direct cremation for which there was a set fee; all steps and costs were transparent. There was no pressure at any time. Kate encouraged my family members to call her 24/7 if we had questions and she was as good as her word throughout.Apart from me calling Kate to advise of Mum’s passing and completing some simple documents, Personal Farewells managed everything. The pricing was really good, and importantly there were no surprises and nothing additional to pay. Kate called or texted me almost every day to keep me up to date and after every conversation, I felt stronger than I had before we spoke.Thank you, Kate and Stephanie, you are phenomenal. We wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Michelle Tolhurst

23:34 05 Jul 21

A special thank you to Kate for her assistance in planning my Dad's funeral. The service was beautiful, we were guided every step of the way, from assistance with the cemetery to choosing a celebrant, flowers and everything in between. I would highly recommend Personal Farewells, Kate and Stephanie were fantastic!

Kara Halliburton

02:54 11 May 21

The service from beginning to end during such an emotional time with the loss of a loved one can be very difficult. Stephanie, Kate & the team at Personal Farewells ensure that all the finer details and more are taken care of. Nothing is too much trouble.I would highly recommend there services above all other companies. You will not find another company that manages the process with such consideration and thought. To be able to bring comfort and make the process so easy is ideal when going through one of the darkest days. Thank you Personal Farewells, your service is above and beyond other services in the industry. Pricing is also fair.

Warren Thomas

12:22 12 Apr 21

When your Mum passes away, her farewell must be special. With Easter fast approaching we needed to arrange Mum's farewell ceremony within a week so that the interstate grandchildren could attend. We also wanted a place that Mum would have enjoyed. Kate and Stephanie at Personal Farewells took up our challenge and passed with flying colours. By late on the Friday afternoon we had the Audley Dance Hall in Royal National Park secured for the following Wednesday. The day before, Stephanie met us on site to fully go through the ceremony including our Mum's entry and exit arrangements, live music and photo presentations. On the day Stephanie was the farewell director and flawlessly managed all audio visual while Kate and Simone made sure all guests were comforted and the ceremony went smoothly. In doing all this, they were always in the background, but right there if you looked or they were needed. Stephanie perfectly improvised in a couple of moments. The women of Personal Farewells perfectly interpreted what we wanted for our Mum's farewell ceremony and then made sure it happened exactly that way. After knowing the wonderful women of Personal Farewells for just a week we felt like they were part of our family. Thank you so much.

Jean-Pierre Raymond

03:08 15 Mar 21

Stephanie Kelly and her colleagues were wonderful with their care and assistance and made our farewell of our dearest mother so memorable.Her expertise was invaluable. We would certainly have no hesitation in recommending Stephanie and Personal Farewells.

Scott Clapson

00:16 21 Jan 21

Jessica Pinchback

00:08 21 Jan 21

They were so helpful for my mother in laws funeral. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting exceptional services and help and also lovely staff

J & K H

10:32 13 Dec 20

Thank you Personal farewells for guiding our family through a very difficult time after our father/husband passed away.My Mum, brother and i cannot thank you enough for being so understanding compassionate and sincere through this difficult time.From the moment we called Personal farewells Kate was by our side guiding us every step of the the way, organising absolutely everything with such compassion and understanding. We are so grateful for this.Stephanie thank you for your sincerity and professionalism, you have a wonderful team and we thank you all for Dad's beautiful service.Kathy, Barbara and Paul.

Stephen Knight

08:57 10 Dec 20

Kate / Stephanie - you made this whole experience so easy. Thank you. You didn't try to over sell anything, suggested things to make it easy and to not waste money, and communicated everything so well. Would not hesitate to recommend you guys to anyone

Elizabeth Jensen

06:07 25 Nov 20

The staff at Personal Farewells were professional and kind at all times. Both before my mother passed away , when discussing funeral options , and after, they spent as much time as required to walk me through procedures. I was very happy with the service , and the lovely celebrant Julie. Afterwards they touched base again to ask how I was.

Sombrilla Digital

03:43 22 Jun 20

I would just like to give a huge shout out to Stephanie and her team at Personal Farewells, who conducted the funeral service for my mum on friday last week. They were very caring, professional and attended to every detail. Nothing was a problem, no question too small, and my family were really impressed with the whole service and how it ran. Thanks Personal Farewells, highly recommended. The Mclaren Family.

Isabel

05:47 02 Apr 20

The team at Personal Farewells are the most amazing group of people, nothing was too hard, they not only arranged a wonderful funeral and service, but they also guided me at this most distressing time. I would highly recommend Personal Farewells to anyone, the passing of a loved one is not only distressing but there is also a sense of "unchartered waters" what do I do, how do I do it, this is where this team of people (I think they're more like Angels) came in and just made sure that everything was done in a loving, caring and professional way. I can never thank them enough.

Geoff Burns

07:57 11 Mar 20

I would highly recommend Personal Farewells for any funeral. Kate, Stephanie and co were so compassionate and respectful with the family members. They went that extra step and made you feel like you were more than just a customer, and were part of their family. Sue Rose, the Celebrant put the family at ease and captured the essence of Larry to a tee. Overall a very professional, compassionate, independant funeral director business.Geoff.

Sharon Swinbourne

21:11 29 Jan 20

Thanks to everyone at Personal Farewells for organising a beautiful service for our Mother and Mother-in-Law. You took such good care of us all. Nothing was a trouble - you organised the perfect service in 3 days. We can't thank you enough. Personal Farewells is a perfect name for your business because you truly do provide a personal and unique service for your families and it's obvious you really care about all of them. Sharon and Ken.

pei Dai

07:56 02 Dec 19

We were very happy with Personal Farewells. They had a great all round service with prompt communication, flexibility and knowledge to allow the funeral to be planned and run very smoothly.We required a bilingual service which they were able to accomodate and showed great respect for customs we wanted to incorporate. They were very affordable and we could not fault the quality.Would definitely recommend Personal Farewells in planning a funeral for your loved ones.

Frau Freundt

06:26 13 Sep 19

Mark Gibson

00:48 29 Jan 19

My brother and I contacted Personal Farewells back in December 2018 for the passing of our Father. It was great to work with Stephanie during our sad time. She was very helpful. Thank you.

Amy Chrystal

00:22 16 Oct 18

I cannot thank Stephanie and the team at Personal Farewells enough. The loss of my father-in-law was a very sad time for our family but it was made easier with the level of compassion shown by Stephanie. Within hours of a phone call, we had everything arranged which allowed us time to grieve. Everything was arranged exactly how we wanted right down to a bag piper. The service was a lovely send off for my father-in-law and I was so impressed with the detail shown by Personal Farewells which included packets of tissues and small bottles of water for our loved ones.In the unfortunate event that you may need to arrange a funeral, do not hesitate in contacting Personal Farewells.

Lisa Bouman

01:29 03 Oct 18

I would like to thank all the staff at Personal Farewells for the beautiful service they provided for our mothers funeral. The empathy and compassion they provided was truly genuine, so personal they felt a part of the family. Many of those at the service commented on the service overall including small touches like the individual packets of tissue and water provided for those in attendance. I would have no hesitation in recommending Personal Farewells to cater for your loved ones funeral.

Brian Adams

13:18 18 Sep 18

My family recently used Personal Farewells for my father's funeral. We were very pleased with the service offered by Stephanie and her colleagues and the manner in which it was organised. It was a beautiful service and we will use Personal Farewells again should the need arise. Highly recommended.

Courtney Bowie

12:08 31 Jul 18

I cannot recommend Stephanie and the Personal Farewells team enough. Stephanie made a really difficult time for my family so much easier with her kind and compassionate approach. She went above and beyond for my family and made my grandfather's funeral service a wonderful celebration of his life. My family and I are so grateful to Stephanie for her care and concern and her wonderful work. Thank you again Steph

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Suzanne Ellen JAMES

23rd December 1943 – 12th November 2021

Funeral Service

Monday 22nd November 2021 at 11.30am

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