Pierre Bettembourg

[Pongo]

On Saturday afternoon 16th May, I was just returning from a trip out on the bike after lockdown here in France, and my phone rang. At the other end a distraught voice cried,........''Pierre is dead''.

Roger Primout ( OTRA) had first introduced me to his lifelong friend and fellow traveller Pierre ( GABACHO) Bettembourg in 2013 at the first French HU meeting at St Amans des Cots. He also came to our highly successful meeting in 2016 at Loupiac and became an instant celebrity for his concurrent translations of the presentations in both English and French. His fluency in English, French and Spanish was a skill well used in his work as a translator for the United Nations.

He travelled globally for the UN and I think sometimes spent more time in the air than on his bikes ( a few!). He had just returned to his house in Paris after two month lockdown with his wife and daughter at their family home in Copenhagen. He was in his early 60's.

He was found on Saturday morning by another friend, but cause unknown. Suspected coronary. My thoughts go out to his family and many friends world wide, and especially Roger ( OTRA) and Brigitte.

RIP.

Photos Loupiac 2016. in discussion with Ted Simon and translating at a presentation.