Our People

Derrick Leeder was one of Rosedale’s founding Funeral Directors and was the inspiration behind the name Rosedale.

Born and educated in Diss, Derrick spent most of his married life with Sandra and their three boys in Bressingham.   Derrick was an accomplished musician and could play any brass instrument from the smallest to the largest and he was the Bandmaster of the Diss Salvation Army Band for many years. 

Derrick passed his Diploma in Funeral Directing in December 1976 and was admitted to membership of the British Institute of Embalmers in February 1978.

When the funeral home he worked at shifted from the care of the families, Derrick left to become a founding Funeral Director of Rosedale Funeral Home.

Having served bereaved families for more than 50 years, Derrick saw many changes in the profession from arranging funerals in his little black book, where the choice of coffin amounted to solid for burial and veneer for cremation and arranging funerals to take place within just a few days, even the next day sometimes. Derrick embraced change every step of the way, keeping abreast of new technology as on-line memorials and visual tributes became the norm, alongside colourful and eco-coffins, personalisation and fingerprint jewellery.

Derrick had built up a professional reputation that was second to none and he was respected by members of the clergy, local doctors, his professional colleagues, and of course the bereaved families in the community that he served in Diss and the wider area of South Norfolk and the Waveney Valley.

He was a calm and patient man, totally unflappable and set the highest of standards of care for the deceased and bereaved alike. He was mentor to many, often taking new staff under his wing and was always so generous with the sharing of his wisdom and experience. He was a much loved and respected Christian gentleman who remained true to his values throughout and will be sadly missed in the profession.
 

Amanda has many years of experience in end-of-life care and is deeply passionate about reducing the isolation and loneliness that so often accompany loss and ensuring no one faces their grief alone.

Amanda believes in creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels valued and understood and has previously run Mencap groups. She is committed to supporting autistic individuals and their families and is currently pursuing a level three qualification in Understanding Autism.

She is a wife and mother of three wonderful boys and in her spare time you can find her swimming, crocheting, or tending to her garden, three things that bring her peace and joy.

Andrew has worked with the bereaved for over 30 years in various roles such as a Church Leader, Funeral Director and Manager. He is now a funeral celebrant, conducting services all over East Anglia.

He was born and brought up in Ipswich and now lives in Suffolk with his wife Jo and two sons Jacob and Samuel.

Andrew enjoys travelling and watching most sports live, combining the two if he can. He still plays snooker weekly and enjoys live music.

Ben joined Rosedale in October 2024.

When he is not spending time with his partner Paige and their two lovely children, Roman and Luna, he enjoys listening to music and is a big fan of heavy metal, rock and punk music. Iron Maiden are his favourite band.  He also has a passion for reading, particularly military history, and has a talent for research; he has helped several friends locate the resting place of their loved ones who lost their lives during WWII. This took a great deal of searching for and cross-referencing documents and reports from the time. His love of history also reaches to ancient history including Egyptology.

Ben is an avid Arsenal supporter.

Andrew Osborne-Biddiscombe is a funeral bearer having joined Rosedale in January 2025.
Originally from South London Andrew has lived and worked in various parts of the UK and abroad.
Now been in Suffolk for over 20 years after meeting his wife Jill and together they ran their own business until 2024.
Andrew enjoys sport, swimming and reading but is passionate about music, partly as a pianist but mainly as a singer with a male voice choir and a soloist.

Mark joined Rosedale in 2024 having previously worked in the supply of Timbers and was employed in the Civil Engineering/marine Industries. In his spare time he enjoys walking a cycling.

He enjoys working for a company that has a real commtiment to its role in the funeral business.

Tony joined Rosedale two years ago and has really enjoyed being part of the team ever since. It’s been a rewarding experience and one he is proud to be involved with.

He is married and has three children—two boys and a girl—who keep life busy and interesting.

In his spare time, he is a big fan of football and horse racing. He enjoys keeping up with the games and following the action.

Glen joined the Army in 1991, carrying out his training at the Royal School of Signals in Catterick, North Yorkshire. Throughout his military career, he was fortunate to be posted all over the world on various tours and assignments, including the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, and Iraq, spending the majority of his service stationed in Germany.

He progressed through the ranks and completed 24 years of service, retiring as a Warrant Officer.

A keen runner, Glen used his passion to raise funds for numerous charities, including the Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen Families Association (SSAFA). His fundraising efforts totalled £90,000 and earned him a commendation, along with two additional commendations for his service during operational tours—achievements of which he is extremely proud.

Glen is married with three sons and four grandsons. His personal interests include carpentry and walking the family’s lively and energetic Cocker Spaniel.
Now part of the Rosedale family, Glen hopes to draw on the skills, knowledge, and compassion gained throughout his military career to ensure that bereaved families receive the care, service, and dignity that reflect the high standards of Rosedale Funeral Home.

Married to his wife Angie, with two grown-up daughters and two brilliant grandsons who keep life fun.

He is a keen golfer, currently playing off 10.1—though he’ll admit that’s a bit harder to live up to in the winter! 😄

He and his wife love eating out and enjoy getting away whenever we can, whether that’s exploring the UK or heading further afield. He is also an armchair supporter of Ipswich.

He retired from the manufacturing industry in August 2024 and hasn’t looked back. These days, he’s lucky enough to be doing what feels like a dream role—helping families.

Keven joined Rosedale as a bearer in 2022 after a lifetime in Retail management. He now enjoys using his years of experience looking after members of the public in his current role as a funeral conductor, helping families to say goodbye to loved ones in a way which is personal to them.

In his spare time he enjoys travel with his wife, good food and the company of his family and friends. On sunny days Keven can be found relaxing in his garden enjoying a glass of wine and listening to classical music.

Jeff joined Rosedale in 2021. He previously worked in the Oil Industry for a total of 30 years living and working in many Countries.

Having worked in the same industry with people of very similar backgrounds and basically the same outlook on life as him, he has found working with his colleagues at Rosedale the most rewarding part of my job. He loves working with so many people from completely different backgrounds and he loves listening and learning how their different journeys have bought everyone to the same place.

He loves watching live sport. He is a Southampton supporter but has a Season ticket at Norwich and attends the games with his eldest Grandson.

He also like reading, listening to music, pub quizzes, dog walking and going out.
He has been married to Jayne for 46 years, has 3 children and 7 Grandchildren who never fail to bring him anything but total joy.

Mark joined Rosedale in July 2025 having retired from M&H in 2020 after 20 dedicated years of service.
 
He enjoys live music from iconic stadium acts like Oasis, AC/DC and Iron Maiden to discovering new artists and tribute bands at local Norwich venues the UEA and The Waterfront.
 
A Harley Davidson rider, Mark can be found out on the road most weeks. He likes to keep active playing walking football twice a week with teams in Beccles and Norwich.
 
When not on the pitch or his bike, Mark is often on Grandad duties for his two grandchildren and whilst he is not always able to attend the matches, he remains a loyal armchair supporter of Ipswich Town FC.

Carl joined Rosedale in 2024 and is married with 3 children and 4 grandchildren. He has lived and worked around Diss all his life, including 10 years owning and running Larter and Ford in Diss.

He enjoys his role at Rosedale as he works with dedicated and caring colleagues.

His hobbies include indoor bowls, watching Norwich City FC and holidays.

Simon was born and raised in Old Catton, moving to South Norfolk as a young adult, and now lives in Scole, near Diss.

Before entering the funeral profession Simon worked as a milkman, taxi driver and electrician as well as spending time as a driver the Royal Air Force. From Rosedale’s conception Simon was responsible for refurbishing each of the funeral homes to an extremely high standard ensuring a homely and comfortable environment for families to make funeral arrangements. His eye for detail extended to his care of the company fleet and Simon also took a keen interest in the induction of new staff, ensuring that everyone bought into Rosedale values and exceptional standards.

Simon has three children, Harriet, Thomas and Victoria-Rose and three grandchildren who can often be seen in tow at Rosedale community and fundraising events. Simon pioneered Rosedale’s Cooking for One project which gave him an opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen testing and tasting the recipes that are now included in the recipe book.

When Simon’s not at work, as well as being a motorcyclist, private pilot and keen chef he is currently building an RV12 light aircraft and learning to carriage drive with Charlie a 9 year old 11 hand Welsh section two pony.

Anne joined the funeral profession at the age of 16 and had to wait until her 18th birthday before she could receive her Diploma in Funeral Directing.  She was a founding Funeral Director of Rosedale and is now one of the most highly qualified funeral directors in the country.  Alongside her role at Rosedale, Anne is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor for Mental Health First Aid England, trains potential funeral directors for the National Association of Funeral Director’s Diploma in Funeral Directing and has also been a VQ Assessor and lecturer for the Foundation Degree in Funeral Services at Bath University. 

Anne takes great pride in encouraging everyone on the team to continually grow and develop and realise their full potential. Anne is passionate about supporting bereaved children and has served as a trustee of local children’s bereavement charity Nelson’s Journey.  There is a natural cross over between this role and the bereavement resources provided at Rosedale, that include reading lists for children of all ages, memory bears and work books to help families talk about their grief.

Anne and her husband Simon have three children, Harriet, Thomas and Victoria Rose and three grandchildren. Anne was born and bred in Diss and now lives in Scole with the two youngest children, their dog, ponies, chickens and cats. Anne is a member of the Diss Business Forum and Rotary International and enjoys running and cycling endurance events. Her idea of a perfect day would be a picnic at the top of the Langdale Pikes, a swim in the tarn on the way down and a hearty meal with the whole family back at the bottom.

The things that Anne enjoys most about her job is reading the reviews that bereaved families leave after the funeral.  Although we have won many awards, for our environmental ethos, for customer service and for our corporate and social responsibility, it is knowing that we have helped someone who is bereaved that really drives her.  Empowering and supporting people to organise the funeral that they would have wished to have, and that we have done it sensitively and professionally is what makes everything worthwhile.

Rachel is a PA and also carries out Administrative and Accounts Support, based in Diss.

She worked as a Funeral Administrator twelve years prior to joining Rosedale in 2016. In the years between Rachel was a special needs teaching assistant for the local high school and a Learning Support Assistant working with vulnerable adults.

She says she loves the challenges of her job and also values the lovely people she is fortunate enough to work with.

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys walking her dog, reading, cinema, theatre and dining out.  She also loves a game of Scrabble!

Emily is the Regional Director of Rosedale and is field based so can work at any of the Rosedale Funeral Homes. Her aim is to support the team, develop ideas, monitor service and project manage.

She started working in the funeral profession at the age of 19 in London and has now been in the industry for over 20 years. She has held various positions throughout her career from Funeral Arranger to Funeral Director to working as an Area Manager. She says she has been lucky enough to have been able to experience first-hand all elements of the funeral profession, so has a wealth of experience she can draw on. She holds the Diploma in Funeral Arranging and Administration and the Diploma in Funeral Directing.  Emily is a qualified tutor for the National Association of Funeral Directors and sits on their Executive Committee.

Emily says that Rosedale is a fantastic place to work because of the people who work there. Everyone is welcoming, warm and friendly. Everyone wants to provide the best service possible to the people they look after and every member of the team is appreciated, it is amazing to work somewhere where staff development and training is so important.

Emily has a young daughter and spends most of her free time doing fun things with her. She loves travelling and has a long list of wonderful places across the world that she would like to see. She also likes to read and tries to pick up a good book whenever she can. She also loves taking her two dogs for walks in the local woods as it is the perfect time to switch off, relax and reflect.

Rhys first joined Rosedale on work experience in 2011 and continued working through the school holidays until he started his apprenticeship in 2013. He took a gap year in 2017 to go travelling which is where he gained experience working in a funeral home in New Zealand.

He is has passed the NAFD qualifications in Funeral Arranging and Administration and also Funeral Directing. His job is to make sure the Norfolk funeral homes run smoothly in serving their families, to take care of families loved ones and to look after families on the day of the funeral.

Rhys went to Hartismere High School in Eye, Suffolk and grew up around the area. He is a keen sportsman, very much into football and a life long Ipswich Town supporter. He plays football in Eye and has a qualification in advanced scuba diving.

He says that the people he works with are a good team and always willing to support each other. This makes it a good working environment to come into and is particularly helpful in a job which can be delicate and difficult.

Amanda has been the Accounts Administrator based at the Diss branch of Rosedale Funeral Home since February 2018. Her job involves all aspects of processing purchases and sales for the accounts. Before working for Rosedale Amanda had various roles, including management accounting and producing the profit and loss, bank, cash and purchase ledger.  She likes that there is variety and plenty to do and that the business is friendly, flexible, approachable and family focused.

She doesn’t have much time for hobbies now that she has a little boy, but when she has the opportunity, she enjoys playing pool, socialising and photography. Eventually she would like to start going to the gym and take up swimming more regularly.

Richard Green is a founding member of Rosedale from its inception in 2004 and is our Funeral Consultant. He has a wealth of experience exceeding 30 years in the funeral profession serving bereaved families.

He was born and educated in Diss and is a well known face in the town, due to his time running the cycle shop WS Cobb and Son with his brother Graham and managing the Tudor Bakehouse in Diss and Eye.

Richard is married to Julie and they have 2 sons Simon and Thomas, and 3 grandchildren Reggie, Ruby and Evie.

Richard enjoys most sports, mainly watching now rather than participating! He also enjoys listening to all kinds of music including attending live concerts. He is a musician himself and plays principal cornet in the Diss Salvation Army band.