Former colleagues and students of a teacher who died the day after the graduation ceremony at a high school in Fukushima City have expressed their gratitude to her by putting together a collection of essays and a photo album from the ceremony and other school events.
　Ikuko Hidaka, who died of cancer at 60 on March 2, attended the graduation ceremony at Fukushima Higashi High School despite her grave condition.

　６０歳で今年３月に亡くなった元福島東高教諭の日高郁子さんに感謝の思いを伝えようと、同僚や生徒らが文集や卒業式の様子などを収めたアルバムを作製した。日高さんは担任した生徒の卒業を見届けた翌日に亡くなった。

　On April 11, Hidaka's former colleagues visited her house in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, to present the album to her husband, Hiroshi, 66, a former principal of Soma High School in the prefecture.
　"She used her last ounce of strength to attend the graduation ceremony after a long fight with cancer," Hiroshi said tearfully as he held the collection to his chest. "My wife really fought the good fight."

　同僚らは１１日、南相馬市の日高さん宅を訪れ、夫で元相馬高校長の裕志さん（６６）にアルバムを届けた。裕志さんはアルバムを抱き、「がんと闘い、最後の力を振り絞って卒業式をやり遂げた。わが妻ながら本当によく頑張ってくれた」と涙した。

　According to her husband, Hidaka was diagnosed with cancer about 20 years ago, and continued teaching while fighting the disease. Her cancer worsened in the summer of last year just as she was about to reach retirement age, and she started a regimen of anti-cancer drugs. However, Hidaka put on a brave face in front of the 40 third-year students of Class No. 7 and the rest of the school to keep them from noticing her struggle.
　Hidaka made it to the gradation ceremony on March 1, but was in such bad condition from that morning, she had to lean against the wall to walk down the school hallway. It took all of her will and energy.

　裕志さんらによると、日高さんは約２０年前にがんを患った。その後、闘病しながら教員を続けてきた。定年退職まであと少しとなった昨年夏に再発し、抗がん剤治療を受けていた。
　だが、担任した３年７組の生徒４０人らに、闘病していることを気付かれないように気丈に振る舞い続けた。日高さんは卒業式があった３月１日、朝から体調が悪く学校の壁を伝って歩くほどだったが、気力を振り絞って式に臨んだ。

　At the ceremony, Hidaka led her students into the venue and managed to read out all of their names without incident, sending them off to the next stage of their lives. Afterwards, she conducted a final homeroom in the school's infirmary, where she informed the students that she was suffering from cancer.
　After the students had gone home, Hidaka vomited blood and was taken to a hospital. She passed away in the afternoon the following day.

　式ではクラス全員の名前を読み上げ、無事生徒を送り出した。式後、最後のホームルームは保健室で行われ、日高さんは生徒に自分ががんであることを告げた。生徒が下校した後、日高さんは吐血し、病院に運ばれたが翌日午後に他界した。

　Three teachers who were colleagues of Hidaka's at Fukushima Higashi until March this year -- Kyoko Shibukawa, 52, now at Motomiya High School; and Akiko Saito, 52, and Shigeko Coombs, 46, both at Hobara High School -- felt the need to inform her family of her life as a teacher. They took the initiative to collect photos, messages and other memories from former students and their parents and guardians.
　"All I can do is to thank the teachers," Hiroshi Hidaka said. "Through the collections of photos and messages, I could learn about my wife's daily life at Fukushima Higashi High School that I had never known."

（　Translated by The Japan News　）

　「最後まで病と闘い続けた日高さんの教員生活を家族に伝えなくては」。今年３月まで、いずれも福島東高で日高さんの同僚教諭だった本宮高の渋川恭子さん（５２）、保原高の斉藤章子さん（５２）とクームズ茂子さん（４６）の３人が中心となって、生徒や保護者から寄せられた写真やメッセージなどをまとめたアルバムと文集を作製した。裕志さんは「先生たちには感謝しかない。アルバムや文集を通して、知らなかった福島東高での妻の日常を知ることができた」と話した。

　【　２０２１年４月１３日付・福島民友新聞掲載　】