NOS News•
Former news reader and (radio play) actor Donald de Marcas passed away last Friday together with his wife Sonja Bernd’t. De Marcas was 89 years old, Bernd’t 84.
De Marcas suffered from dementia and his wife was terminally ill, says Erik Mark Ossedrijver, a cousin of the couple, on the Gooi and Eemlander. Ossedrijver and his wife attended the joint euthanasia of De Marcas and Bernd’t. According to Ossedrijver, De Marcas was afraid to be left alone after the death of his wife.
De Marcas started his career in 1953 at the youth department of AVRO radio, where he was a radio presenter and radio play actor. He also worked for the Dutch Radio Union, NOS, KRO and VARA, among others. De Marcas was also one of the voices of the radio news service provided by the ANP, later NOS Radio News.
radio play actor
In his career, De Marcas played hundreds of roles as a radio play actor, he was also a voice actor. For example, he voiced Tintin and various fairy tales.
Sonja Bernd’t is the stage name of Sonja Johanna Ossedrijver. She was a singer and jewelry maker. De Marcas often performed cabaret songs and short stories with her.
De Marcas was Jewish, his wife half-Jewish. De Marcas was in hiding for 2.5 years during the war. Many of his relatives did not survive the war. Because of their experiences in the Second World War, they were involved in various social initiatives such as May 4 commemorations. De Marcas often read poems during commemorations.
