Maarten Spanjer’s funeral to be held privately on Saturday

Maarten Spanjer’s funeral will take place on Saturday in a private ceremony, his widow, Monique Waterham, has confirmed to the ANP news agency. The actor and writer died in the early hours of Friday into Saturday, the day he would have turned 74. [1]

Waterham said the ceremony would reflect Spanjer’s wishes for an intimate, private burial. Although he had a large circle of friends, she said, he did not want what he called “disaster tourism”. [1]

Spanjer died from cancer. He was known for his role in Paul Verhoeven’s 1980 film *Spetters* and later became widely recognised for the television programme *Taxi*, in which he talked with passengers while driving a cab. The show won the Golden Rose of Montreux television award. [1]

He and Waterham married five days before his death. He spent his final days in a hospice after his condition deteriorated rapidly. [1]