Rob de Rooij was a cleaner at Basta - later the COC Café - since the end of the last century until his retirement in 2019. Cleaning was certainly not Rob's passion. But it gave him a basic income and a certain regularity in his life. Rob loved trading second hand stuff. Marktplaats and Catawiki had few more secrets for Rob and he could often be found at flea markets. Rob was completely in his element, see attached photo.

The stuff that Rob sold at the flea market also came from bulky waste. In the morning he got up very early (really very early) and with his car he roamed the streets. Sometimes Rob made nice toppers with the purchase and sale, but for Rob it was mainly a hobby that got out of hand.

Rob also collected special LPs and was a lover of dance music. If you visited him early in the morning during his work, the music had to be turned down to be able to have a conversation. Rob has done a lot of work for COC Haaglanden. Demolition work, a lick of paint, cleaning the cafe on a Sunday morning after a DARE party, it was all no problem for Rob.

Rob absolutely loved cats. Several cats have found a safe shelter with Rob. He cared for them at all costs. When it became clear about a year ago that he had a serious illness, his biggest fear was that his cats would be left unkempt. Fortunately that didn't happen. Rob passed away on Wednesday September 22 at the age of 68.