Beloved Bordeaux Grocer Dies of Cancer, Community Rallies to Support Family

Since the sudden death of Hicham Yassine, who ran this grocery store inherited from his parents who opened it in 1987, his children Taha and Rita have come to assist their mother Ibtissam in managing the establishment. "We want to continue Hicham’s work," explains Hicham’s wife, who keeps smiling despite everything.

Touched by Hicham’s passing, many neighbors, customers of the store and friends of the grocer, express their deep sorrow. "You could entrust him with your keys: he would take a look at your house when you went on vacation, and if the kids forgot their bunch of keys when coming back from school, they could always come here," Mike, a resident of the neighborhood for a decade, told Sud Ouest.

Hicham was available and helpful to the neighborhood. He spent hours chatting on the sidewalk and could agree to close a little later to help a customer. "He was more than a grocer. Someone who really brings your corner to life," declares Sebastiana, who recounts that one day he did not hesitate to leave the store to chase a hit-and-run driver who had just run over a pedestrian.

On Wednesday, a kitty was opened to support his family and help keep the grocery store open. "I told my sister who lives in Morocco: ’Don’t worry, I discovered that I had a second family’," Ibtissam comforts herself.