Dame Helene Quilter: key obituary facts
Is Dame Helene Quilter dead? Yes. Dame Helene Quilter died on July 24, 2026.
Cause of death: Dame Helene Quilter's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Dame Helene Quilter known for?
She was a New Zealand public servant.
More about Dame Helene Quilter
Gender: female.
Occupation: chief executive officer, civil servant.
Nationality: New Zealand.
Education: Baradene College of the Sacred Heart.
Awards: Companion of the Queen's Service Order, Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Also known as: Helene Elizabeth Quilter, HE Quilter, Dame Helene Quilter.
Dame Helene Quilter, a retired New Zealand public servant, died on July 24, 2026.
She served as deputy commissioner at the State Services Commission from 2007 to 2012, where she worked on the first five-year strategic plan for the Ministry of Social Development, improvements to governance and risk assessment systems, and the implementation of the Defence White Paper 2010. Quilter later became secretary of defence and chief executive of the Ministry of Defence from 2012 to 2019, and was reappointed deputy public service commissioner before retiring in 2023 after a 45-year career.
Her honours included appointment as a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order in 2019 for services to the State and as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023 for services to the public service and the arts.