John Challis' widow Carol has taken to Twitter to announce the tragic news that her nephew has died.
However, in another cruel twist, she revealed that not all of her nephew's belongings were returned as a watch had gone missing
She penned in view of 134.3k followers: "Simon’s personal belongings were returned to us today from Germany, at last. Sadly his wristwatch was missing.
"Disappointing that someone should feel the need to help themselves.
"God bless these two, my much loved husband and his friend, my nephew Si."
Challis included a photo of her husband, who played Boycie in the beloved BBC sitcom, alongside his nephew.
John Challis played Boycie on Only Fools
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Condolences soon came in as one fan replied to the tweet: "Very sad to read that."
A second added: "So sorry for your loss, tough times," followed by heartbroken emojis.
"It won't do whoever stole it any good......Karma," a third reassured.
While a fourth weighed in: "Despicable that someone would steal from someone’s personal property. Thoughts are with you all x."
The Only Fools star's wife stopped short of revealing specific details about her nephew's death.
Her husband died at the age of 79 on September 19, 2021.
Challis' family confirmed he had died following a long battle with cancer and "died peacefully in his sleep".
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John Challis speaking in 2015
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The statement added: "He will always be loved for being 'Boycie' and leaves a great legacy of work that will continue to bring pleasure and smiles for many years to come.
"Be assured that in the future there will be an occasion to celebrate John's life - when everyone will be welcome to come along."