Mayor of Crisolles from 1995 to 2014, and socialist general councilor of the canton of Guiscard for a mandate from 2004 to 2011, Gérard Lecomte died during the night of Monday to Tuesday at the age of 70. Sick with pancreatic cancer, he died of a heart attack. Father of three children with his wife Françoise, he also leaves behind three granddaughters. His funeral will be celebrated on Saturday December 21 at 2:30 p.m. at the Crisolles cemetery.
“A deep sadness” for Yves Rome, former president of the general council
Despite his withdrawal from political life 10 years ago, when he gave up running for mayor of Crisolles, no one has forgotten Gérard Lecomte. “I feel a deep sadness,” comments Yves Rome, president of the general council of Oise from 2004 to 2011, during which Gérard Lecomte was councilor of the canton of Guiscard. “The departure of a person like Gérard always feels like an injustice,” adds the socialist, “I remember a man full of energy, creative, who believed a lot in culture and was very invested in this area – there”.
Despite his mandates as mayor and general councilor in which he was very invested, Gérard Lecomte had never abandoned his job as a SVT teacher. Well known in Noyon and at the Jean Calvin high school where he has seen many generations of students pass through, Gérard Lecomte has left fond memories and many of his former students testify on social networks. A former colleague sums it up: “He was a well-liked person, gruff at first glance, but friendly. His students respected him, and really liked him.”
“A man of culture, a humanist and an epicurean” for Patrick Deguise
But it is logically from the political sphere that the majority of testimonies flow. As a socialist like him, mayor of the Pays Noyonnais as well, and general councilor over the same period, the former mayor of Noyon and Pont L’Évêque Patrick Deguise knew Gérard Lecomte well. “Gérard was a man of culture and a humanist, I have very good memories with him at the general council, I am very saddened by his disappearance,” he comments.
The former mayor’s love of culture will also be one of his legacies: “He left a cultural house at the entrance to Crisolles equipped with a stage: he was also a lover of theater indoors and on the street. And in a project like Oise en Guinguette, he had taken his full part, it is something that he will leave behind him, even if it was not always understood, or if some felt that there was had other priorities,” summarizes the elected official.
A lover of good things too. “An epicurean,” comments Patrick Deguise, “I remember a dinner one evening at his house, he showed me his cellar, it was incredible,” notes the one who links this passion for “good food” to the gastronomic fair in Crisolles “which literally attracted the entire canton and even largely beyond: it was a flagship event in Noyonnais”.
“A winner”, for Bruno Morineau, rugby comrade and director of Parc Carisiolas
A 3rd half spirit which well represented the character also known for his passion for the oval ball. Bruno Morineau, president of the Rugby Club Noyon, shared several adventures with Gérard Lecomte. He first mentions “a big surprise” at the announcement of the death of his former traveling companion. “Despite his illness, he remained confident. I saw him two months ago, he told me that he spent his time between the hospitals of Reims and Amiens, but Gérard was also someone with a winning temperament who never gave up.” , he comments. Bruno Morineau knew Gérard Lecomte “a long time ago in the cadet and junior teams of the Rugny Club Compiègne,” he remembers. We first played around the same fields even though we never played together, then it was he who became interested in the Noyon club where his son played.”
Carisiolas, “Gérard’s baby”
Building on this friendship, the two men then created Carisiolas Park together. “Gérard’s baby comments”, Patrick Deguise. “At the start, Carisiolas was a delusion of Gérard’s,” says Bruno Morineau, “but a delusion that was achievable.” Bruno Morineau was retraining in the social sector at the time when Gérard Lecomte asked him to take charge of a medieval theme park. “He had this idea, I added the social side, it’s something that he immediately really liked,” continues Bruno Morineau. And the small park opened its doors and grew year after year thanks to the work of reintegration workers. “What he wanted was to bring people, not only to Crisolles and the park, but throughout Noyonnais,” summarizes Bruno Morineau. Objective largely accomplished: “The last year I was on the site, we made 25,000 entries over the year, and in total, we saw 600 people go through reintegration,” his friend finishes. Accomplished, and with style.
