Friend talked Katie into accepting her honour

Katie Williams says she was born into helping others.

Katie Williams knows she wasn't meant to tell anyone she was in line for a New Year's Honour but it's a good thing she did - she was planning to turn it down.

It took a friend giving her a good talking to, to convince the Rotorua woman that she better well accept the Queen's Service Medal for her services to senior citizens and the community.

The retired nurse and midwife who has been involved with many Rotorua organisations but is perhaps most well known for her role founding the Kiwi Coffin Club, said she wasn't initially going to accept the award.

"I'm not that sort of person.

"I told someone to talk about it and she said 'you better, because lots of people have worked for you to get that'."

Accepting it for that reason is typical of the self confessed people person.

"I'm only one of [many]. They are all as deserving as me.

"As far as my accolade is concerned it really should be cut up into tiny little bits for all those great people, especially in the Coffin Club - they are amazing."

Now it's sunk in a bit more, Ms Williams, who turns 77 tomorrow, admits it is "rather lovely" to be acknowledged in such a way.

Ms Williams said she never imagined "for a second" that the Coffin Club would take off the way it did.

"It was just a wish of my own that has gone viral. I'm extremely proud of what has happened."

Her voluntary work isn't limited to the coffin club. She's spend more than 10 years as a volunteer at Save the Children's retail outlet, helps out with exercise classes for those with arthritis (even providing transport for those who can't drive), visits house-bound people, has served on the Arthritis Pool Support Group committee, supports Whare Aroha Home and Hospital, is volunteer convener for two U3A (University of the 3rd Age) interest group and has previously helped at the Rotorua Community Hospice and Trade Aid.

"I think I was probably born into this ... my family had a huge social conscious. It's just been part of me forever. I love people, that is what it is all about."

While highlights popped up "all the time", she particularly enjoyed helping people with the grieving process.

"I was a midwife forever in the old days, then went into district nursing and hospice work and ended up helping with the end of life which is a privilege. Not many people have both privileges."