Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption

In this church, located near the home address of the Hermans family, Toon enjoyed attending the holy mass. The funeral of his great love Rietje also took place here in 1990. Toon was a broken man after her death. He attended the service from the back of the church, where he tried to come to terms with his loss alone. After Rietje's death, Toon wrote a new one-man show. It was a tribute to the woman he loved so dearly. He did not finish the tour. In Alkmaar, he became overwhelmed while singing the song ‘Lente me’. Toon left the stage and never returned.

Toon himself passed away on April 22, 2000, in the hospital of Nieuwegein after a procedure on his heart. It went well, but the following night things went wrong. Toon was found beside his bed and did not regain consciousness. Thus, the life of the great artist came to an end. A life that began in Sittard. During World War II, Toon moved to Amsterdam, where Jewish artists were no longer allowed to perform by the occupier. Since there was still a need for entertainment, Toon took over from them. Something that was later perceived as debatable. However, it was crucial for his breakthrough as a cabaret performer. Later, Toon was the first to have a one-man show, which means that all the cabaret performers who came after him followed in his footsteps. Toon was also a pioneer when it came to recordings of performances on television. When Toon appeared on television, the streets fell silent. He caused a tremendous increase in the purchase of television sets during the early years of the medium.

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