Wilma Clark Trivett

It feels good to be reading the testimonials, stories and fond memories people have of and share about Wilma, our dear, caring, generous American friend. And although they will never compensate for losing her, they certainly will contribute to alleviating some of the pain for those who knew and – but it could go otherwise? – loved her.
I was barely 17 when I first met Wilma, Cecil and their girls in the summer of 1988 (typing this very date feels like I’m visiting a foreign country!). They welcomed me in their home for several weeks on a school trip to Avery County from France, in lieu of the young man who had stayed with my family and who, for some reason, couldn’t have me in his home. Wilma, Cecil and the girls met us at the airport and I immediately fell in love with the family. Those three weeks with these wonderful people were a defining moment in my life and will remain enshrined in my heart for the rest of it, as it certainly is for my schoolmates, though I have lost track of all of them now. Needless to say, my heart was full of tears when I had to go back to France, but we always kept in touch, and I’ve always considered this a blessing in my life.
I visited Wilma and Cecil in Crossnore again in 1998, this time with my wife Valerie in the summer following our wedding, and Wilma and Cecil once again generously welcomed us in their home, they had not changed an inch and it was great to spend time with everyone and see the girls, now young women, settle in their young adults’ lives, with boyfriends/husbands, jobs and plans.
In-between, I had met Wilma again on two specific occasions, once in Plymouth, England, where I was then staying as a “foreign language assistant”, in 1993, and two years later, in Paris, while she was touring France with friends.
The last time we met in person was almost 20 years ago, when she managed to “sneak out” from an organized trip in Europe to spend a couple of days at our flat in Eastern France, taking the train on her own from Paris to Lyon, where I got to pick her, after we had organized it all a few weeks before! That was Wilma, she would do anything for the people she loved. I’m glad that, on this occasion, she could meet and hold my little girl Ariane, just a toddler then and beginning to speak! We even found some time to go and have a look at the plot of land where a family home now stands and from which I’m writing these lines. Wilma was always so supportive of others.
We would phone each other now and then, and exchange gifts and news about our respective families over Christmas time. I’m sure everyone will agree, from Cecil, Eva, Ella, Anna, their partners to her grandchildren: she was the heart of soul of her family. I will treasure the last Christmas card she sent, in which she gave brief news about everyone, and I hope she could get to read my last letter and the words of love it contained before so brutally and unexpectedly passing away. Once again, my heart is full of tears these days, but the words of love I could read on this forum for Wilma from people who met and knew her in various circles and occasions, be it at church, in sports activities or whatever, all bring comfort and help soothe the pain.
I’d like to conclude this probably too long a text by a French saying that goes like this: “Don’t grieve for the one you’ve just lost, but instead, rejoice and be grateful that you got to know and love her at all.” That’s how, I believe, we should all feel for Wilma. She was a blessing and she will forever remain in our hearts. All our dear thoughts go to you, Cecil and to Eva, Ella, Anna and your families.

Christophe and Valerie, their girls, Ariane and Daphne, from France