A Delta, B.C., widow is making an emotional plea to a thief who broke into their home to please return the remains her husband.

Someone broke into Carol Lalonde’s home home on Christmas Eve stealing a flat screen TV, jewelry, a laptop and other valuables.

But the most important and irreplaceable item stolen was a silver container containing the cremation ashes of her husband, Laurence Lalonde.

Daughter Roxanne Lalonde remembers walking into the house and realizing someone had broken the door lock.

“I turned to mom then said, ‘We've been robbed,” Roxanne Lalonde said.

Laurence Lalonde died 14 months ago.

An armed forces veteran, Lalonde was also an avid hockey player, who regularly strapped on skates and took to the ice until he was 70.

His wife and three daughters each kept a hollow silver container shaped like a puck to hold some of his remains.

It was Carol Lalonde’s puck that the thief made off with.

“It's the last remembrance of 58 years marriage,” said Lalonde, 77. “It means a lot to us. It's something you can hold and realize a portion of him is there.

Thief likely unaware

“It's not of value to anyone else,” said her daughter, Nicole. “It's not going to be of use to anyone else, it's not for anyone else. It's specific and personal.”

The silver puck containing cremation ashes was stored in a velvet box. (CBC)Delta Police said they're investigating the break and enter but so far, they have no suspects and say the thief or thieves likely didn't know what he stole.

“They probably thought it was big chunk of silver, but they'll get a big surprise when they open it up,” said Carol Lalonde.

The engraved puck was stored inside a velvet box.

“If they could bring it back, drop it off at the door, it'll be fine and we'll just get it,” she said.

Carol Lalonde said she doesn't care if she gets any of the other stolen items back, all she wants is the little she had left of her husband.

The theft of the cremated human remains is the third in Metro Vancouver over the holidays.

On Christmas night a Surrey woman had the remains of her aunt and father stolen from her home and a few days before Christmas, a Langley man had the ashes of his girlfriend stolen.

With files from the CBC's Justine Ma