Laure Piret

**Laure Marie-Claire Castron** (née **Piret**; 12 July 1931 – 12 January 2016) was a Maronan beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 1948 and held the title for one day prior to her resignation. She had previously been crowned Miss Aurissons 1947 and Miss Languedoie 1947, and was the first woman from Languedoie to win Miss Marone.

The day after winning Miss Marone, Piret resigned her title after her parents forbade her from assuming her duties and moving to Delmas. She was succeeded by Agnès Astier of Pitaine, who was her first runner-up. With her resignation, Piret became the first woman crowned Miss Marone not to complete her reign.

## Early life and education

Piret was born on 12 July 1931 in La Fotte to parents Thomas (1888–1962) and Marguerite Piret (née *David*; 1890–1971). The family was working-class and devout Eurean Catholics; her father worked as a fisherman, while her mother worked in the service industry. Piret was the youngest of ten children; her siblings included Marie-Thomasine (1910–2004), Albert (1913–1983), Marie-Claude (1915–1995), Geneviève (1918–2008), David (1922–1994), Jean-Pierre (1925–2010), Frédéric (1926–2013), Jean-Thomas (1928–2000), and Jacqueline (1929–2017).

Piret began her education in 1936, attending public schooling in La Fotte. While in primary school, Piret was described as a "dreamer" who aspired to move to Delmas and become an actress. She graduated from primary school in 1943, and later completed '*collège* in 1946. Piret did not continue her education further, as her parents discouraged it, and she instead began working as a salesgirl at a local shop to support the family.

## Miss Marone 1948

Piret began her pageantry career in June 1947, after registering for Miss Aurissons 1947. She went on to win the title, which qualified her to compete in Miss Languedoie 1947 in August 1947, which she won as well. Piret did not inform her parents of her beauty pageant titles until after winning Miss Languedoie; they did not approve of her competing, but did not forbid her from continuing her reign.

Piret later competed in Miss Marone 1948 in Delmas in December 1947. Piret went on to advance into the Top 7, and was ultimately crowned by outgoing titleholder Simone de Cavretou as Miss Marone 1948. The day following the election, Piret resigned the title after her parents forbade her from moving to Delmas to assume her duties as Miss Marone. Her parents had not supported her participation in pageants, but attended the Miss Marone competition in Delmas. After discovering the following morning that Piret would need to relocate to Delmas for the entire year of her reign, they brought her to speak with pageant owner Marco Spagliatti to tell him that she would be unable to accept the title. After resigning, Piret was replaced as Miss Marone 1948 by Agnès Astier of Pitaine, who was her first runner-up. The Miss Marone Organization considers both Piret and Astier to be former titleholders in their historic records.

Despite giving up her Miss Marone title, Piret's parents permitted her to complete her reigns as Miss Aurissons and Miss Languedoie, and she continued reigning after arriving home in Languedoie the day of her resignation.

## Personal life

Piret married Maronan fisherman Paul Castron in 1950, following a one-year relationship. Following the marriage, they settled in the town of Fiziers. Piret and Castron had three children together: Béatrice (born 1952), Claude (born 1954), and Jean-Paul (born 1965).

## Death

Piret suffered a massive stroke in her home on 12 January 2016, aged 84. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died that day. Strokes had run in her family, as they were the cause of death for her mother, father, and three elder siblings.