Erika Toon, 86, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, died Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
She was born May 11, 1939, in Stuttgart Germany. Growing up as a young child in Germany during World War II and the years that followed presented many challenges. Some of her early memories included going to sleep in her bed and waking up in the cellar where she had been moved due to bombing, having to use ration cards for many purchases, and hurrying home at dusk with her mother to be inside before curfew. During the beginning of her elementary school years, textbooks were not available. Despite this, she was one of only three children out of her class of around thirty that went on to study at the Gymnasium (the advanced track of secondary school in Germany). She grew up helping with work in the fields and forest, loving to dance and play accordion. In 1957 she left to spend a year in England working as a nanny at the Westminster School for Boys. After returning to Germany, she worked as a secretary for Stanford University initially in Germany and then later in California. She went on to study linguistics at the University of Illinois earning her masters with honors in liberal arts and sciences with distinction in German and Russian in 1967. After graduation she taught German at the University of Illinois. While in Chicago she met her future husband, Robert Toon. They married in 1967 and went on to have two daughters. Their lives took them around the world, spending time in Toronto while her husband completed his residency, and then Germany and the U.S. after Robert joined the military. In addition to raising their daughters, she worked as a volunteer for the Red Cross, and during the Gulf War, she served as the station manager of the Red Cross in Landstuhl, Germany. In 2000 Robert retired from his final tour of duty at Fort Knox, and they settled in Mt. Sterling. In Mt. Sterling she served on the Art Council and was a volunteer at the Post Clinic. During her free time she loved spending time with her grandchildren. She enjoyed the outdoors, whether hiking or spending time in her garden. She had a passion for travel and going to concerts and operas. She enjoyed spending time with friends, cooking, and hosting dinners.
Survivors include her husband, Robert Toon; daughters, Rebecca Toon and Hannah Toon; and four grandchildren, Benjamin Isserman, Eleanor Isserman, Madeline Isserman and August Martin Toon.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Eugenie Vollmer.
A private family service will take place at Camp Nelson at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family kindly requests that donations be made to The Gateway Regional Center for the Arts, 101 E. Main St., Mt. Sterling, Ky., 40353.
Guestbook available at www.coffmanfuneral.com.
Arrangements under the direct care of Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory.
