* Raymond Thuilier; Operated Renowned French Hotel Restaurant

Raymond Thuilier, 96, who built l’Oustau de Baumaniere in Provence into one of France’s greatest hotel restaurants, where he was host to royalty and celebrities. Thuilier ran the gastronomic retreat from 1945 until 1990, when he turned the renowned establishment over to his grandson, Jean-Andre Charial. Thuilier fed Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, the late Shah of Iran, Pablo Picasso and Charlie Chaplin. He was one of a handful of chefs to earn the coveted three-star rating in the Michelin Guide and to keep it for a record 35 years. He founded the inn on a converted sheep farm, turning the cliff-top village of Les Baux into one of southern France’s major tourist attractions. Thuilier was mayor of the village at the time of his death. On Sunday in Les-Baux-De-Provence, France.