Willy Gertsen氏 追悼ページ

English follows Japanese;

２０２０年 ４月２７日 Tine Devantier Winther Lundgren氏より、 Willy Gertsen 氏がスイスのご自宅でCovid-19 によりお亡くなりなったとの連絡を受けました。

享年８６歳。

ご葬儀はごく近親者による家族葬で終えられたそうです。 ご自宅でお亡くなりになったということですので、奥さまに看取られての最期であったのかなと思います。
 

Gertsen 氏とは２０００年を少し過ぎた頃、弊社でのLASAL-SCANTAL製品を扱いを開始したした時からのおつきあいが始まりました。
デンマークはもちろん、北欧諸国の福祉用具業界に精通しておられ、こちらからの何気ない質問に対して、驚くほどの長文でお返事をいただいたことを思い出します。 質問に関連する企業の歴史や歩みなど、物語のように教えていただきました。

Gertsen 氏は毎年欠かさずHCRにお越しになりました。
常に奥さまとご一緒で、少し皮肉っぽい彼の顔と、奥さまの笑顔が印象に残っています。
せっかく日本に来たのだからと、どこかお連れできないかと思い、「京都はどうだ、奈良はどうか」とお尋ねしましたが、 残念ながら、彼の方が日本観光の達人でした。 HCRにお越しの際は、毎年、芝パークホテルにお泊まりでした。ホテルの方々との関係をとても大切になさっていました。

Gertsen 氏と二人でドイツからデンマークまで車で旅をしたことは今でも思い出します。
フランクフルトであったと思いますが、スイスから旧式のキャデラックを運転してお見えになりました。 彼に言わせると、スイスではアメリカ車は安いんだそうです。デンマークに向かう途中、大きな橋を渡った記憶があります。向こうに見える空が赤く色づき、大陸を感じ、とても美しく感銘を受けたことを思い出します。

道中、化学の専門家のGertsen 氏が福祉業界に入られた物語や、当時の北欧やドイツなどの業界の様子についていろいろなことを教えてくださいました。当時は、北米の資本がドイツや北欧の福祉機器市場に進出を始めた時期で、その後の業界の変化についての見通しなどお話ししたように記憶しています。

デンマークのオーフスの街で二人で夜、地元のレストランに行った時のことも楽しく思い出します。

ここ何年かはTine Devantier Winther Lundgren氏に事業を託し、一線から身を引かれ、日本を訪れることもなくなりました。

最後にHCRに来た時に、きちんとこれまでのお礼を言えないままでいます。ヨーロッパを訪れ、どこかで彼に会い、これまでのお礼を伝え、その後のことなどいろいろとお話ししたいと思っている矢先の訃報となりました。達人から多くのことを教えていただきたいなと思っておりましたので、このたびのことは本当に残念でなりません。

今回、Gertsen 氏とゆかりのある方からご寄稿をいただき、氏の冥福をお祈りするとともに、その死をともに悼み、彼との思い出を記録にとどめたいと思い、本追悼ページを開設いたしました。
 

パシフィックサプライ株式会社 
取締役 事業開発本部長
羽佐田和之

On April 27, 2020, we received the notification from Ms. Tine Devantier Winther Lundgren that Mr. Willy Gertsen passed away at his home in Switzerland due to Covid-19.

He was at the age of 86 years old.

We were informed that the funeral has been hold by the close relatives in a family funeral style. Since he passed away at home, I think his last moment was taken care of by his wife.

I started working with Mr. Gersten when we started to distribute LASAL-SCANTAL products from the beginning of the year 2000. He was familiar with the welfare equipment industry in Denmark as well as in the Nordic countries. I remember that he answered a casual question from me in a surprisingly long sentence. The way he told me about the history and the course of the company related to the question was like telling a tale.

Mr. Gertsen visits HCR every year. He was always with his wife. His slightly ironic face and her charming smile are remaining in my mind. Since it was a very good chance that he came to Japan, I was going to take him to somewhere and asked him, "How about Kyoto, how about Nara?", unfortunately, he was a master of Japanese tourism. When he visited HCR, he stayed at Shiba Park Hotel every year. He very treasured the relationship with the people at the hotel.

I still remember my traveling by car with Mr. Gertsen from Germany to Denmark. Maybe it was Frankfurt he picked me up by his old bid Cadillac. He told me, American cars were reasonable at price in Switzerland. I also remember on our way to Denmark we crossed a big bridge, the sky over the bridge turned red, it looked like the continent and I was impressed very much by its beauty.

While traveling, Mr. Gertsen, who was also a chemistry expert told me a lot about the story of how he entered the welfare industry and what this industry was like in Northern Europe and Germany at that time. That period was the time when North American capital began to flow into the assistive equipment market in Germany and Northern Europe. I still remember he also told me about the outlook of the future for the industry.

It's also a great memory that we went to a local restaurant at night in the city of Arhus in Denmark.

He backed out of the front line of business and no longer visited Japan since he had entrusted his business to Ms. Tine Devantier Winther Lundgren for the past few years.

Last time when he visited to HCR, I couldn’t really thank him for what he did for us so far. At that time, I did not expect it was his last visit HCR as well as Japan. I was about to express my appreciation so far to him and talk with him about many things that has happened since then when I visit Europe next time and meet him somewhere. However, what I heard was his death. I am really regret about his passing away. I wish I could have learned more from him.

Now, we decided to open this memorial page at our website. We would like to receive contributions from the people connected with Mr. Gertsen, to pray for the repose of his soul and to mourn his demise, and to keep a record of our memories with him.

Kazuyuki Hasada
Director, Business Development Division
Pacific Supply Co., Ltd.