Saint Andrew's Church

Gaston Berghmans died on May 21, 2016. “He fell at his home in Merksem, where he had always lived and where a statue of ‘Joske Vermeulen,’ his famous character, has stood for years. After the fall, Gaston moved to a nursing home, where he passed away a few months later. His farewell ceremony took place on May 27, 2016, in this Saint Andrew's Church.”

Leo Martin passed away much earlier, on March 18, 1993. “He had lung cancer but did not want to disclose that to the general public. Six months before his death, he was still on stage during the show 20 Years Gaston & Leo. When Leo died, it was a shock for all of Flanders; no one knew he was so ill. After Leo's passing, Gaston tried to move on alone, with ups and downs. He would achieve significant success with the Gaston Berghmans Show, together with Carry Goossens. I have never met Gaston and Leo. One time I ran into Gaston, but I didn't dare to speak to him. The awe was too great.”

Hanna Van Thienen