Death in Nîmes of Gérard Pantel, a figure of the City has just passed away

Gérard Pantel à la terrasse de son café avec son épouse Janine et son fils Eric. ARCHIVES Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

La famille de Gérard Pantel a confirmé ce jeudi après-midi le décès du patron et figure historique de la Ville.

We will no longer see the silhouette of Gérard Pantel, on the terrace of an eponymous café, located on Avenue Jean-Jaurès. The septuagenarian died this Thursday, we learned this afternoon. Gérard Pantel was a figure from Nîmes and embodied his city and his profession with a completely inimitable ease.

We will no longer see Gérard Pantel going from table to table, greeting his customers, going behind the counter, taking a tour of his tobacco shop where he also sold newspapers and commenting on the ;news covered by Midi Libre of which he was a fervent defender, and moreover a salesman, just like his father, Roger, founder of the Pantel café, created in 1944. Thus, it’is a  dynasty of cafe owners and custodian of Midi Libre (for nearly 60 years) which has just passed away at the age of 78. Which will undoubtedly provoke many pained reactions in the city and certainly from the political world which frequented its establishment.

We will unfortunately no longer see Gérard Pantel walking along rue Emile, ever on the arm of his wife Janine or in the area of ​​the Saint-Paul church which he frequented when ;he was a child. We will no longer see Gérard Pantel commenting on the news of Olympic Nîmes, whose exploits and legendary matches he could retrace at the Jean-Bouin stadium. Gérard Pantel could be buried next week after a ceremony at Saint-Paul church. Midi Libre presents its condolences to his wife Janine and his son Eric.