Akane Kato and Naoki Nakazawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
On the morning of March 11, "Andre sensei" received a card of thanks bearing lines and squiggles from his English students at the Shiogama Catholic Kindergarten in Miyagi Prefecture who were due to graduate the following day. He never got to see them graduate.
A victim of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Father Andre Lachapelle served at the Shiogama Church next door and was known for his mild demeanor. He was well-loved by his parishioners and his students, whom he taught two to three times a month.
Lachapelle, 76, came to Japan half a century ago. He had taught at middle and high schools before he started working at the church.
For Mass, Lachapelle got up early when it was still dark outside, lit heaters and personally greeted up to about 50 parishioners when they arrived at the church.
A 63-year-old female parishioner said she would be eternally grateful to Lachapelle, who often visited the hospital where her 25-year-old daughter underwent brain tumor surgery before she died.
She recalled that her daughter had stuck a letter from Lachapelle near her bed so she could see it every day. The note read, "Yoku gambatte imasu. Hayaku genki ni natte" (You're doing good. Get better quickly.)
Lachapelle was at an affiliated church in Sendai when the quake hit the Tohoku region at 2:46 p.m. on March 11. Despite the protests of the other priests, he insisted on returning to Shiogama in case any of his parishioners needed to evacuate and shelter at the church.
While Lachapelle most likely died in the tsunami, the cause of his death is yet to be confirmed.
His body was discovered on March 12 and his car was found some distance away. The roads surrounding the area were submerged in water.
He was only about a kilometer away from the church. It had escaped the wrath of the tsunami.
The 63-year-old parishioner collapsed into tears upon hearing of Lachapelle's death.
"After my daughter died, I phoned him many many times, always crying," she said. "He was always so patient and quiet when he listened to me. He was such a pillar of support."
It was a sentiment echoed by teacher Kaori Sato, 46, who worked with Lachapelle at Shiogama Catholic Kindergarten.
"He always put others before himself," she said of her coworker, wiping away her tears. "He remained true to character up until his very last moment."
Meanwhile, decorated with folded paper cranes and featuring the names of her students, the message ended like any other from a teacher to her graduating pupils: "I will never forget you! Good Luck! Gambatte kudasai!"
But posted at a corridor of Inai Middle School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, and penned by tsunami victim Taylor Anderson, the note is a poignant reminder of a dedicated teacher beloved by her students.
Anderson hailed from Virginia in the United States. When she was in high school, she saw the Studio Ghibli animation "My Neighbor Totoro" and was enchanted by the rhythm of the Japanese language.
She came to Japan in 2008 as an assistant English teacher through the Japan and Exchange Teaching (JET) Program and taught at six of the city's primary and middle schools.
Anderson said in her application that her motive for applying was because she wanted to be a conduit between Japanese and foreign young people.
She had taught the students who graduated in March since they first entered middle school.
One of these students, Ikumi Kimura, 15, said: "She was just like a friend. She even talked openly about her boyfriend in the United States."
Fellow teacher Tomoko Narisawa said she often saw Anderson folding paper cranes in the teachers' room after school hours in the lead up to the March 12 graduation.
When the quake hit, Anderson was teaching at a primary school. After ensuring that the children had safely evacuated, she left for her apartment. The tsunami that ravaged Ishinomaki hit shortly afterwards.
"[Anderson] said she'd marry her boyfriend when she went back home in July," said Kimura. "I still can't believe she's gone."
Kimura saw Anderson's message to her former students when she visited Inai Middle School in late March with some classmates.
"I was very moved. I realized how much [Anderson] liked us," Kimura said.
(Apr. 7, 2011)
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