Louis Shaul Chouraqui passed aways just days before his birthday on April 1 after contracting COVID-19.

His happy childhood in Algeria with parents, Fernand Shlomo and Marcelle Rachel, and three siblings was interrupted by the outbreak of the Algerian War of Independence that began in 1954, which prompted their leaving for Paris. Eventually, they settled in Nice in southern France, where Chouraqui began to establish a life for himself.

At the end of 1969, he wed Yolanda, and their 50-year marriage served as an inspiration to all who knew them.

Chouraqui spent his entire professional career at SNCF-The French National Railway Company, but was defined more by what he did outside of the office. An aspiring artist and world traveler with a particular soft spot for Israel, Chouraqui was highly regarded in the Nice Jewish community for his warmth and wisdom, and as someone strongly linked to his heritage and roots.

He was blessed with a beautiful voice and served as the president of his choir, his curtain call performance on Purim taking place only weeks before his passing.

He is survived by his wife, Yolanda, and their children, Patrick, Carole and David.

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