Since the age of four with the knowledge that one day we will all die, Vicki has developed a natural curiosity of death and dying. Accepting that dying is a normal part of life and a human experience, she questions the medicalisation of the dying process; the unrealistic expectations of treatment to prolong life and the reluctance of healthcare professionals and families to engage in meaningful end of life conversations.

She also challenges our traditional funeral and death care practices influenced by the Victorian era and America Civil War and a funeral industry that is over regulated and largely motivated by commercial interests. In an increasingly secular community she finds it difficult to understand why we cling to the traditional and the socially familiar when so many choices are available. She is a proponent of family-led or hybrid funerals where family members and close friends are actively engaged in directing the funeral plans and undertaking activities, believing that they are best placed to know how best to symbolise/ritualise the life of their loved one and what that person meant to them.

Vicki has a wealth of experience across health, business, government and the community sectors. She is a self-confessed end-trepreneur with a passion to drive change to ensure that we all get the best ending in life possible. With a focus on natural burial, death and dying, advance care planning, creative funeral planning, as well as developing compassionate communities, her aim is to: advocate, educate and facilitate. She is a Board member of Palliative Care WA and hosts the Perth Death Café.