Georgette Peraire

**Georgette Marie-Joséphine Peraire** (25 December 1931 – 25 July 1970) was a Maronan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 1953 and held the title for five months prior to her resignation in May 1953. She had previously been crowned Miss Barn 1952 and Miss Hautes-Robinelles 1952, and was the first woman from Hautes-Robinelles to win Miss Marone.

## Early life and education

Peraire was born on 25 December 1931 in Cargues to parents Michel (1900–1955) and Madeleine Peraire (née *Caules*; 1908–1976). The family was working-class, with her father working as a landscaper while her mother was an aspiring actress and model who began working as a secretary after becoming pregnant. Her parents later divorced in 1937, when Peraire was five years old, and she was subsequently raised by her mother in a small two-bedroom apartment in Cargues.

Peraire had a difficult childhood. Her father remarried soon after divorcing her mother, and went on to have several other children, but Peraire was forbidden from pursuing a relationship with her father or half-siblings by her mother. Her mother frequently had new boyfriends which lived with the family in their apartment, many of whom were abusive towards both Peraire and her mother. Her mother also suffered from alcoholism, and was often abusive towards Peraire while intoxicated. She began her education in 1937, attending public schooling in Cargues, but struggled with her academics and suffered from behavioral issues. After completing primary school in 1944, Peraire graduated from *collège* in 1947, and opted not to continue her education afterwards.

## Pageantry

### Miss Hautes-Robinelles 1952

Peraire began her career in pageantry in June 1950, after registering to compete in Miss Barn 1950. She was signed up for the pageant by her mother, after she had seen an advertisement looking for contestants. Peraire went on to place as the second runner-up, and did not qualify for the regional pageant. She returned to Miss Barn the following year, and once again was the second runner-up. Peraire competed in Miss Barn for one final time the year afterwards, and won the title, being crowned Miss Barn 1952.

After winning Miss Barn, Peraire was qualified to compete in Miss Hautes-Robinelles 1953, held later in October. Peraire went on to win the competition, receiving the right to compete in Miss Marone 1953.

### Miss Marone 1953

Peraire competed in Miss Marone 1953 in Chassonne in December 1952. Peraire went on to advance into the Top 7, and was ultimately crowned by outgoing titleholder Élisabeth Montfault as Miss Marone 1953, becoming the first woman from Hautes-Robinelles to win the title. During her reign, Peraire resided in Delmas and worked as a promotional model and brand representative both domestically and internationally for Miss Marone and its sponsors.

After winning the title, Peraire's mother opted to move with her to Delmas; despite asking to live with Peraire at the titleholder's apartment, her request was denied by Emeric Gatos, and she instead began residing out of her own rented apartment nearby, using Peraire's titleholder salary to pay her rent. Early into Peraire's reign, her mother would frequently be at the titleholder's apartment and accompany Peraire to events along with her official chaperones. Peraire's mother was reported to eventually become a "nuisance," for Gatos and other chaperones, with the Maronan media writing about their frustration with her continued presence. In March 1953, Peraire's house mother, who lived with her in the titleholder apartment and chaperoned her day-to-day activities at the apartment, began to worry about Peraire's health due to her frequent fasting and continuous loss of weight. In May 1953, Peraire passed out from malnourishment while at her apartment, and was discovered by her house mother, who called an ambulance. Peraire was subsequently hospitalized and diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, for which she was enrolled in an in-patient rehabilitation program. After enrolling in the program, Peraire was forced to resign her beauty pageant titles, and was succeeded as Miss Marone by her first runner-up Marie-Claude Ferrano. Peraire has gone on to state that her mother encouraged her eating disorder, and she would not have developed it if it weren't for her mother's influence. The Miss Marone Organization considers both Peraire and Ferrano to be former titleholders in their historic records.

## Career

Peraire began working as a model at a young age. In 1939, aged seven, Peraire's mother had her signed to a children's modeling agency in Cargues in order to develop a supplementary income for the family. She went on to appear in print advertisements for a number of businesses throughout Hautes-Robinelles and Languedoie. Peraire has called her mother a "stage mother," arguing that she was not interested in pursuing modeling as a child, but was forced into it by her mother both to generate income and for her mother to live vicariously through her to achieve her childhood dreams of becoming a model.

After completing her education in 1947, Peraire became a full-time model, appearing both in print advertisements and fashion magazines, and walking in runway shows. By 1950, Peraire was earning a monthly salary quadruple the amount that her mother earned, but was forced by her mother to give her the entirety of it. Peraire has gone on to state that she grew to despise her mother for the way she controlled her career and her finances throughout her young adulthood.

Peraire returned to her modeling career in 1955, after successfully completing treatment for anorexia nervosa. She continued to focus on fashion modeling, appearing in print campaigns, fashion editorials, and runway shows both in Marone and internationally. Peraire opted to retire from her modeling career in 1960, in order to prioritize motherhood.

## Personal life

Peraire married Maronan business executive Albert Grau in 1957, following a two-year relationship; there was a large age gap between the two, with Grau being 19 years Peraire's senior. Following the marriage, Peraire became the stepmother to Grau's three children from a previous marriage. Peraire and Grau had one child together, daughter Adeline (1960–2022), while the family resided in Dax. Peraire and Grau later divorced in 1963, with Peraire reportedly receiving a large divorce settlement. Throughout her life, Peraire was a practicing Eurean Catholic.

In her adult life, Peraire had a strained relationship with her mother. Their relationship took a significant downward turn in the aftermath of Miss Marone 1953, and they never reconciled. From 1955 until her death in 1970, Peraire and her mother did not speak, and Peraire was unaware of her whereabouts. Her mother did not attend Peraire's funeral, and later died of alcoholism-related complications in 1976, aged 68.

## Death

In her 30s, Peraire developed an addiction to barbiturates. Her close friends were aware of her addiction, but did not attempt to persuade Peraire to pursue treatment or rehabilitation. In the morning of 25 July 1970, Peraire was found dead on the bathroom floor of her hotel suite at the Lux Grand Villa Hôtel in Saint-Philippe, Tahare by a hotel housekeeper; she was 38 years old at the time of her death. Peraire had been vacationing on her own at the resort for the prior week, and planned to return home the next day. An autopsy was performed, which determined her cause of death to be an accidental barbiturate overdose.

Following her death, Peraire's body was returned to Metropolitan Marone and buried in Cargues at her father's family plot. She did not have a will, so her estate was left entirely to her daughter Adeline, who was nine years old at the time of her mother's death. Adeline was put in the permanent care of her father and stepmother, whom she was raised by for the remainder of her childhood and adolescence.