Death of Francine Distel, alpine ski champion and wife of Sacha Distel

Since the disappearance of Sacha Distel who died of cancer at the age of 71 in 2004, Francine Distel has never separated from their photo taken twenty-five years ago off the coast of Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer (Var) . They had been married 42 years. She, who skied until the age of 87, lived in her chalet in Megève where she had many famous neighbors including Daniel Filipacchi and Petula Clark.

As friendly as she is discreet, this bubbly brunette died at the age of 90 following a heart complication on December 29. His funeral took place on January 9, 2025 at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church in Megève. According to his last wishes, his ashes will be distributed half at the top of a ski slope facing Mont Blanc, the other half, placed in the family estate of Rayol, facing the Mediterranean in the crypt where Sacha Distel rests.

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Francine Distel: Sacha, her love

Love at first sight on the slopes

In 2007, Francine Distel née Bréaud published her memoirs Love is not that simple published by JC Lattès. Born on June 7, 1934 in Paris, she came from a wealthy family. His father was a banker and businessman. During the Second World War, her parents sheltered their daughter in Megève. There she discovered skiing which she would practice at a very high level. Member of the French team, she became an alpine ski champion and was selected for the Olympic Games.

In 1962, Sacha Distel, already extremely famous, spotted this champion from a terrace overlooking the slopes of Megève. It’s love at first sight. He doesn’t know how to ski, he’s going to have to get started. Handsome as a playboy, Sacha Distel was a seducer who smiled at life and adventures with, among others, Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau in the 1950s. The couple married in Megève in 1963. They had two sons. Laurent born in 1964 and Julien in 1967. During the school year, the family lives in Paris then disappears for four months a year to Megève. Boys are on skis from the age of three. Over time, Julien Distel settled in Megève where he owns a real estate agency. Laurent Distel, based near Aix-en-Provence, takes care of their father’s posthumous career by managing his publishing company.

The interpreter of Scoubidou was a distinguished jazzman. All the rain falls on me, La Belle vie (The Good Life in its international adaptation), The sun of my life, The fire in Rio, What are we waiting for to be happy, Rebecca… The most seductive of jazzmen sang refrains that we still hear today. Released in 1982, his song My wife was dedicated to Francine Distel. He left behind an exceptional musical repertoire. His two sons will now share his moral rights. Francine and Sacha Distel had three grandchildren, Alexandre sports journalist, Ylan 19 years old and Maé 16 years old.