Angélique Bourdel

**Angélique Jeanne Fabienne Bourdel** (12 March 1957 – 24 November 2019) was a Maronan former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Marone 1976. She had previously been crowned Miss Tahare 1975, becoming the second woman from Tahare and the fifth woman from overseas Marone to win Miss Marone.

## Early life and education

Bourdel was born on 12 March 1957 in Saint-Philippe, on the island of Tahare, to parents Jean-Pierre (1923–1989) and Lucille Bourdel (née *Chévier*; 1926–2010). Both of her parents were born in Tahare, to *Greb* families which had inhabited the island since the beginning of the Maronan colonial period in the 17th century. The family was wealthy, with her father being an executive in the media industry, and her mother a homemaker and heiress who came from a family involved in the shipping industry. Bourdel was the youngest of four siblings; her elder siblings included Jean (1950–2022), Béatrice (born 1953), and Henri (born 1955). She was the maternal first cousin of Marianne Darbre, who was later crowned Miss Tahare 1974 and Miss Marone 1975.

Bourdel began her education in 1962, attending private, Eurean Catholic schooling for girls. After completing primary school in 1969, Bourdel moved to metropolitan Marone to enroll in École Joséphine Bordeaux, a private, independent boarding school for girls located in the department of Baylac in Val-du-Verne. Bourdel completed *collège* at the school in 1972, and afterwards enrolled in a *lycée académique* program as well, studying natural sciences and mathematics, and graduated in 1975. Following her graduation, Bourdel planned to study management and marketing at the University of Charfort, but ultimately did not attend due to her pageantry career.

## Pageantry

### Miss Tahare 1974

Bourdel first began her pageantry career in 1975, after registering to compete in Miss Tahare 1975 in August 1975, which she later won. She had signed up for the pageant amidst encouragement from her cousin Marianne Darbre, whom had been crowned Miss Tahare 1974 and later Miss Marone 1975.

### Miss Marone 1975

As Miss Tahare, Bourdel was qualified to compete in Miss Marone 1976. Miss Marone was held in December 1975 in Robic, where Bourdel went on to advance into the Top 12 and Top 5, and ultimately was crowned the winner, becoming the second consecutive woman from Tahare and the fifth woman from overseas Marone to be crowned Miss Marone. During her reign, Bourdel resided in Delmas and worked as a promotional model and brand representative both domestically and internationally for Miss Marone and its sponsors. As Miss Marone, Bourdel represented Marone at Miss Parth 1976 in August 1976, and placed as the third runner-up.

## Personal life

After returning to Tahare in December 1976, Bourdel relocated to Sainte-Jeanne and began a relationship with business executive Nicolas Domeur, a member of the Domeur family and the nephew of Christophe Domeur. They later marred in July 1978. Bourdel and Domeur had two children together: Lucille (born 1980) and Guillaume (born 1982); Guillaume later went on to become an actor. Bourdel and Domeur later divorced in 1983, and their two children resided primarily with Bourdel.

Bourdel later married lawyer François Simo in 1987, following a two-year relationship. They went on to have one child together: Lydie (born 1989), and resided together in Saint-Pierre before divorcing in 2001. After the divorce, they shared dual custody of their daughter.

## Death

In 2015, aged 58, Bourdel was diagnosed with pulmonary disease, credited to her long-term cigarette smoking; Bourdel had smoked cigarettes since age 14, and went through several packs per week. She began treatment for the disease, although her condition began deteriorating.

In 2018, she underwent a lung transplant in Delmas, although her condition continued to decline after the surgery. In June 2019, her children moved her into a nursing home in Sainte-Anne for 24-hour care by nurses and doctors. She later died from complications associated with pulmonary disease and the lung transplant on 24 November 2019, aged 62.