637 Brabant residents receive a royal distinction: see who here

The municipality of Tilburg is an outlier, just like in 2023, this time with 38 recipients. The high number in the municipalities of Land van Cuijk, Maashorst, Meierijstad and Moerdijk, among others, is also striking.

Yvon Jaspers
The most famous Brabander who would be honored is Yvon Jaspers. Born and raised in Boxtel, he became a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau. This was supposed to happen in her hometown of Loenen aan de Vecht, but the face of Farmer Wants a Woman and the ambassador of the Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund were not at home. She’ll get the decorations later.

Highest award
The highest award in our province goes to Cees van Kempen from Nieuw-Vossemeer. He becomes a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion. An appropriate appreciation for this nature filmmaker, who made his breakthrough with the series ‘The return of the kingfisher, the kestrel and the beaver’.

More than sixty Brabanders will become Knights in the Order of Orange-Nassau, including Breda entrepreneur Aad Ouborg (64). Known for his actions to raise money for charities, he is also active in the hockey world. Ad Rooms (74) from Bergen op Zoom was also ‘knighted’. He was praised, among other things, for his writing and organizational qualities.

Referees
Even more knights: two men who have made themselves important as referees. These are Leendert den Brasem from Budel (56), a celebrity in water polo for decades, and Daniel Jansen from Reusel. The latter celebrated his fiftieth birthday on Wednesday and has been active as a referee in amateur football for many years.

Jansen is a member of the SV Brabant-Zuidoost. Two more members of this association have been appointed Member in the Order of Orange-Nassau: Tjeu Steijvers (83, Maarheeze) and Paul Janssen (82, Dommelen).

In Someren it was also hit three times earlier this Friday. Three people in the same street were surprised: the sisters Mien Vergeer-Van den Tillaar and Ine Leenders-Van den Tillaar and Emiel Toonders. They made themselves useful to society in various ways, just like all the hundreds of other Brabanders.

This can be in a club context: from fishing association Volnetje in Lage Zwaluwe and Petanque Association Littie or Littienie in Helmond to carnival association De Grenszuukers in Baarle-Nassau. Or for climbing and mountain sports, which earned great appreciation from Rutger Elink Schuurman from Etten-Leur and Rogier Wassenberg from Waalre.

Commitment to fellow human beings
There are also decorated people who have been committed to sick people, people with disabilities or people who do not have much to spend for years. A few have been volunteers for sixty years. Several people in the (local) media were also surprised.

Hamdi Özcan (born in 1962) received a ribbon because, among other things, as chairman of the Isra Mosque, he has ensured that there is a good relationship between the Turkish and Dutch communities in Dongen.

Perhaps the oldest Brabander to be distinguished is Bert van Laarhoven (Best, 91). Bart Swinkels, also from Best, is as far as known, at 39 years old, the youngest ‘happy’ person. Furthermore, several couples were honored. The municipality of Gilze en Rijen was the only one with only female decorated people, four in total.

Here you can see who in your municipality has received a ribbon. Can’t see the table properly? Click here to open the table in a new window.