Célestin Montcocol

Montcocol was born on 26 June 1879 in Avignon.[1][2] He graduated from the École nationale des arts et métiers in Aix-en-Provence in 1898.[1][2]

Montcocol started his career at the Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris.[1][2] He then joined his father-in-law's construction company.[1] He received a gold medal at the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition for his work.[1]

When his father-in-law died in 1912, he became its sole owner.[1] In the 1920s and 1930s, his firm was one of the top three largest construction firms building the Paris Métro.[1] He also built the sewage system and buildings in Marseille, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and Antibes.[1] Additionally, he built railroad tracks for the SNCF.[1]

He acquired sixty-six hectares in Sainte-Maxime in 1933, with the aim of developing the land.[1] It became the Sainte-Maxime Golf Club thanks to his grandson, Thierry Ménétrel, in 1991.[2]

His firm was inactive during World War II.[1] In 1943, he was a co-founder of the Ecole d'Application aux Métiers des Travaux Publics in Egletons.[1] After the war, he revived his construction firm.[1] He built the Sainte-Dévote Tunnel in Monaco.[1] He also built subways in Montréal, Mexico, Santiago and Caracas.[1]

He was a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1934, and an Officer in 1951.[2]

He married Emma Labour, the daughter of Victor Labour, a businessman in the construction industry.[1] They had two daughters.[1] One of them, Aline, married Bernard Ménétrel, the physician and advisor to Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II.[3]

He died on 27 December 1981.[1] He was 102 years old.[1]