新見市の姉妹都市ニューヨーク州ニューパルツ・ヴィレッジの前ニューパルツ国際交流協会会長のLis Clockさんが3月5日にご逝去されました(
ニューパルツ国際交流協会前会長Lis Clockさんの訃報参照)。
先週土曜日の6月1日、リズさんのための追悼式が執り行われました。
とてもお世話になっているのでぜひ参列させていただきたかったのですが、物理的に無理でしたので、リズさんの前任で国際交流協会長を務めたVici Danskinに我々日本の友人からのメッセージを送り、読んでいただきました。
以下が、Lis Clockさんのための追悼メッセージです。
Dear Lis Clock
We were and still are very sad to hear of the news of your passing.
Thank you very much for your contribution to the development of our sister city relationship and exchanges.
Through this sister city relationship many people from Osa/Niimi have visited New Paltz, and many New Paltz people
also have visited Osa/Niimi.
Through this sister city exchanges, we have become good friends, and some people involved have become "sisters"
or "brothers", "aunts" or "uncles", and "nieces" or "nephews."
Lis and Jeff Clock shared their home on Spring Town Road with many Japanese visitors, some time for their place to
stay, and some time for the parties.
There are many people in Osa/Niimi that remember the Clock house as one of their special places in the state of New York or even in the United States of America.
Lis, you visited Osa/Niimi as many as three times.
Through your visits, many people in Osa/Niimi remember you very well for your friendly smiles, warm heart and
superb leadership.
We know that you need warm heart when you act as Chairman of New Paltz International Exchange Association.
And your warm heart and your elegance were nicely represented in your name “Elizabeth”.
We all know that you sometimes need strong heart as the leader of the association.
Lis, you showed us your strong leadership when we did art exchanges between New Paltz and Osa/Niimi.
You are a real "Armstrong", Lis!
And last but not least, you were trustful to us and you really were a trustworthy friend.
There was always trust between us.
This trust or trustworthiness was well represented in your family name “Clock” which always tells us the correct
time.
In this way, your name namely represented your character and we will never forget you even if your clock has
stopped too early.
We are not able to be present at this memorial in person, but we all are in spirit from the other side of the
world.
Thank you and Arigato, Lis!
Kiyoshi Yamauchi and friends of Lis in Osa/Niimi, Japan
ビッキー・ダンスキンさんによると、6月1日は、リズさん・ビッキーさんが当時の大佐町に来られた2000年のお盆のような暑い日だったとのことです。
メッセージの要旨ですが、
リズさんとジェフさんのニューパルツの家には多くの新見・大佐からの人がパーティやホームステイでお世話になっていて、特別な思い出の場所になっていること、リズさんの名前にはリズさんの人柄が表れていて、愛称「リズ」の元になっている「エリザベス」には優しさとエレガンスさが、ミドルネームの「アームストロング」にはリーダーとしての強さとしっかりさが、そして「時計」の意味の「クロック」にはしっかりと時を刻む「信頼」が表わされていましたというよう内容です。
そして、私たちは式には参列できないけど、地球の裏側から気持ちだけでも参加していますと結んでいます。
リズさんをご存じの皆さん、今一度、リズさんのご冥福をお祈りいたしましょう。
