Majella Mary Cullinane

Thinking of Majella's family and friends at this time. With deepest sympathy.

I am very sad to know of Majella's death. She was someone who had a great deal to give, after already contributing so much to our lives. My sympathies to all of her whanau. Some years ago, I organised a series of talks on Poetry for U3A Dunedin, and asked Majella to speak at one of the sessions, as a working poet. She readily agreed, and gave us all some fascinating insights into her writing, and also into her reading. Her talk was one of the highlights of my course. Alan Roddick

Beautiful Majella. I first met Majella when our boys started primary school - they were in the same year and we soon started walking around the harbour together and meeting up for coffee. It was such a joy to spend time with her and chat about everything - and there was a lot. Curious, passionate, straight up, thoughtful, observant, kind and often with a twinkle in her eyes, she was always great company and I greatly treasure our friendship. She has also inspired me; her energy, her positivity and also the sensitivity and the subtlety in her wonderful writing. Dear Andrew, dear Robbie and dear Marie, I offer you my sincerest condolences - what a special person, your life partner, your mother and your sister was.

I first met Majella in 2018 when I enrolled in a creative writing paper at Otago. Majella was my tutor and she was always generous, warm and kind with her feedback. Over the years, our paths crossed many times and for a short while, before her diagnosis, I was part of a group she organised that wrote together on a Saturday morning at Port Chalmers Library. It was always such a delight to spend time with her and to have her support. She will be very deeply missed.

I got to know Majella during 2011-2013 when she lived in Paekākāriki. She was key in our village social network of parents with babies and toddlers in facilitating catch-ups and bringing humour and the right words to any situation. In the years since, I admired what she achieved with her writing, and I've been saddened by the illness she's had to face. My condolences to Andrew, Robbie and Marie. Much love from Paekākāriki, Carolyn Parker

Beautiful Majella, when we met at the Michael King Writers Centre last November, only a few weeks after my mother died, it felt like being reunited with a kindred spirit. I am so grateful for our 'deep dives' every evening after dinner, to be able to share our sorrows, to rage about the lack of funding for cancer research, but also to delight in the joys of writing and to be able to laugh out loud together. Your poem, 'Slip' (from Meantime), was the perfect poem to read at Mum's memorial in December 2025. I feel so blessed to have known you. You will always be in my heart.

Majella and I shared an office during her PhD. She quickly became a friend and a mentor to me. I can't think of a time where a conversation with her didn't impact me or challenge my thinking in some way. I learned that much from her. We continued to stay in touch over the years. Majella had an amazing memory for the details of my life that made me feel so seen. It's difficult to express the depth of loss I feel knowing Majella is gone. My love to you all.

I was lucky enough to meet Majella through my late husband, Vincent; a dear friend of Majella's. As Vincent's health deteriorated, Majella would frequently come to see him, and while I would leave them to chat over a cup of tea (and the lamingtons that Majella would bring with her, knowing Vincent's fondness for them), I loved hearing the laughter and animated conversations that always accompanied her visits. I was so sad to hear of Majella's passing, and send my sincere condolences to Andrew, Robbie and Marie.

Majella was such a force of creativity and kindness. I was so in awe of her and amazed by her generous friendship. For all my years in Ōtepoti, she was like whānau, my home away from home. She was here, in Galway, this time last year. We had a pub lunch, hit the book shops, went home and watched a movie. It was so totally ordinary. I'm going to miss all those ordinary moments. All my grá to Andrew, Robbie and Marie. I'll miss you anam cara. 'If I defer the grief I will diminish the gift.'

Majella was a ray of sunshine. Her words will live on and she will remain in people's hearts.

Thinking of Majella's family and friends today. She was a lovely colleague, and I really enjoyed working alongside her. I loved hearing about her time on Great Barrier Island, which encouraged us to visit as a family a couple of years later. She was loved and will be deeply missed. Graeme & Rachel Mullin

I first met Majella when she was Burns Fellow and we had neighbouring offices. I remember her coming to one of my poetry classes and sharing her work and amazing energy with the students. Much later, we worked together supervising Liz Breslin’s PhD in creative writing. It was a sign of her great, generous, and brave spirt that she kept up her support for Liz even as she went through treatment and battled illness. When I think of Majella, I remember most vividly her smile and laugh, her gentle toughness, and her refusal of sentimentality but never at the expense of kindness and love, which I saw most when she spoke of Andrew and Robbie. My thoughts go out to you, Andrew and Robbie, and to all the family.