안타까운 순애보...미국 이야기 VIDEO: A man spread the ashes of his wife of 64 years into their favorite Indiana lake. Then he 'dropped dead.'
경제문화 Economy, Culture/국제토픽 Global Topics2019. 6. 18. 11:40
A man spread the ashes of his wife of 64 years into their favorite Indiana lake. Then he 'dropped dead.'
Ralph Miyata with his wife of 64 years, Margie, who died April 21 of this year. Ralph died June 4 while spreading her ashes in their beloved Stone Lake in LaPorte.
By Jerry DavichContact Reporter
Post-Tribune
Just minutes after fulfilling his wife’s final wish – scattering her ashes in Stone Lake – Ralph Seichi Miyata collapsed in the water and later died, joining her first into the lake and then into the afterlife.
Ralph Miyata with his wife of 64 years, Margie, who died April 21 of this year. Ralph died June 4 while spreading her ashes in their beloved Stone Lake in LaPorte. (Family of Ralph Miyata)
화장한 아내 유골 '추억의 호수'에 뿌리고 남편은 심정지 64년 해로 美 80대 일본계 부부 사연 화제 평생 해로한 아내의 유골 가루를 추억 서린 호수에 뿌린 직후 심정지 상태가 와 숨진 미국 80대 노인의 사연이 화제다. 17일(현지시간) 시카고 트리뷴에 따르면 일본계 이민 4세대 랄프 세이치 미야타(88)는 지난 4일 혼자서 인디애나 북부 중소도시 라포트의 스톤호수 한가운데로 배를 타고 들어가 화장한 아내의 유골 가루를 호수에 뿌렸다. 이는 지난 4월 87세를 일기로 세상을 떠난 아내의 마지막 유언이었다. 미야타는 1955년 시카고에서 아내 마지를 만나 결혼했다. 부부는 1965년 인디애나주 라포트로 이주해 2012년 플로리다로 가기 전까지 47년간 그곳에서 살면서 시시때때로 스톤호수에 나가 휴식과 여가를 즐겼다. 이 호수는 이들 부부에게 많은 추억이 담긴 곳이었다. 아내가 지난 4월 세상을 떠나고 장례 절차가 마무리되자 미야타는 아내를 '행복의 장소'로 데려다주기 위해 길을 나섰다. 그는 오랜 친구 부부에게 빌린 배로 스톤호수로 나간 뒤 아내의 유골가루를 다 뿌린 시간 즈음 갑자기 쓰러지며 물에 빠졌다. 친구 부부가 발견하고 구조 당국에 신고했으나 병원 도착 직후 사망 판정을 받았다. 검시소 측은 마야타가 심장이 불규칙적으로 뛰는 심방세동 현상을 겪은 것으로 추정했다. 인디애나주 공원관리 당국은 "자연사로 추정돼 익사 보고를 하지 않았다"고 밝혔다. 사고 다음 날인 지난 5일은 미야타 부부의 64번째 결혼기념일이었다. 자녀들은 "부모님은 매년 결혼기념일을 잊지 않고 챙기셨다"며 "하늘나라에서 두 분이 함께 행복한 결혼기념일을 맞으시길 바란다"고 말했다. [연합뉴스]김 현 통신원 |
Married for 64 years, the couple lived most of those years in LaPorte, where they enjoyed Stone Lake, part of the larger Pine Lake. There, Margie Miyata logged many miles of swimming, enjoyed slalom water skiing, and loved the challenge of wind surfing. Ralph, proud captain of his chartered boat the Banzai (a Japanese battle cry), loved to fish with Margie and their four children.
“To this day, he is a legend to the fishermen,” states his obituary, written by the couple’s daughter, Jill Miyata Spencer.
The couple met in Chicago, tying the knot June 5, 1955, and living in Illinois until 1965 when they moved to Indiana. In 2012, they moved to Florida, but obviously their hearts never left LaPorte, where they dropped anchor as a family.
During World War II, Ralph’s family was housed at an internment camp in Arizona for Japanese-American citizens, forced to give up all their possessions but not their pride, Spencer said.
2The couple met in Chicago, tying the knot June 5, 1955, and living in Illinois until 1965 when they moved to Indiana. (Family of Ralph Miyata)
“My father was one of the proudest people to be an American. He always proudly displayed the American flag despite what America did to his family,” his obit states. “It’s amazing how resilient and forgiving my father was… he did not hold a grudge against the country he loved so much.”
Ralph had an even fiercer love for Margie.
“My parents’ story is a beautiful bond of deep love,” Spencer said.
On April 21 of this year, Easter Day, Margie died while in hospice care at a nursing home in Florida. She was 87. Ralph knew what he had to do – spread her cremated ashes in her “happy place” of Stone Lake.
“Dad was very adamant, he did not want any of us kids to be with him. This was something he wanted to do in private,” Spencer said.
On June 3, with her cremains in tow, Ralph flew from Florida to South Bend, then drove to LaPorte. He had arranged to use the boat of old friends, another married couple who still live lakeside.
“My mom’s best friend, Betty Sprecher, her cohort in crime in the trio of water sports, and her husband, Dr. Sprecher,” Spencer said.
On June 4, while clutching Margie’s ashes, they launched the boat into the middle of the lake, toward her final resting place. Betty Sprecher placed a white peony on the water as a marker before returning to the dock.
While covering the boat, Ralph suffered ventricular fibrillation and fell into the lake.
“Dad literally dropped dead,” Spencer said.
When Spencer received the call, she was making flight plans to visit her father at his Florida home for Father’s Day weekend. She instead went to the lake his parents loved so dearly.
“I stood in the exact spot where dad passed,” Spencer said.
She quietly took in all the sights, sounds and smells that surrounded her father in his last moments – crisp air, calm waters, blue skies, familiar boat and a beautiful view of the 140-acre lake near Soldiers Memorial Park.
“It was perfect,” Spencer said. “I will forever cherish the memory of the happiness that was in my dad’s voice when I talked to him just the night before.”
According to the LaPorte County coroner’s office, Ralph’s body was retrieved from the lake by his old friend, Dr. James Sprecher, who called 911 and began CPR. Ralph was transported to a hospital where he died. He was 88 years old.
“It was a natural death so we didn’t do a drowning report,” said Lt. Shawn Brown, an Indiana conservation officer.
The next day, the couple would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary.
3Ralph Miyata with his wife, Margie, in an undated photo. (Family of Ralph Miyata)
“They didn’t miss a beat in being together for their special day,” Spencer said. “Happy anniversary in heaven mom and dad.”
“It’s a back home again in Indiana love story. Sometimes real life is better than any ending Hallmark could have scripted!” his obit states. “Go be guardian angels and watch over us, your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.”
According to the couple’s son, James Miyata, of Tucson, Ariz., his father’s body was cremated, just like his mother’s. And, yes, his ashes will also be spread in the couple’s treasured little lake. Together again, swirling amid decades of loving memories.
jdavich@post-trib.com
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