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Renowned actor Tony Caunter, celebrated for his role as Roy Evans on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, passed away in October of last year at the age of 88. Recently, details regarding the substantial inheritance left to his children have come to light.
Caunter’s death occurred merely days after the passing of his wife of 63 years, Frances Wallace. From 1994 to 2003, Caunter portrayed the character of Roy, a car dealer who developed a romantic relationship with Pat Butcher, played by Pam St Clement, ultimately leading to their on-screen marriage. It has been disclosed that following his and Frances’s deaths, Caunter bequeathed a significant estate to his four children. His estate was valued at a noteworthy £485,000, after all debts and expenses were accounted for. Upon his passing in October, his family issued a heartfelt statement: “With profound sadness, we announce the passing of our cherished father, Tony Caunter, who died peacefully last evening, just eight days after his beloved wife, Fran. Dad was 88 years old.”
The family expressed their gratitude, saying: “We wish to extend our appreciation to the NHS staff at Eastbourne District General Hospital for their exceptional care during his final hours, and to everyone at Eastbourne Gardens nursing home for the compassion and care provided to Dad over the past two months.”
They also requested privacy “during this extremely difficult time.” In a tribute, EastEnders stated: “We are deeply saddened by the news of Tony Caunter’s passing. Tony will always be remembered and cherished by the EastEnders family for his warmth, kindness, and humor, as well as by the viewers who immediately embraced Roy.”
“Tony will forever be loved and respected by everyone at EastEnders for his warmth, kindness and humour as well as being greatly remembered by all those at home who instantly took Roy to their hearts.
“Roy will always be remembered for his great love of Pat, despite him famously declaring his distaste in her choice of earrings, which gave us all one of Walford’s greatest love affairs.
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“Tony will never be forgotten by all those who worked alongside him for many years, and everyone at EastEnders sends their love and condolences to Tony’s family and friends.”
Tony’s character, Roy, died on the soap in 2003 after suffering a heart attack, leaving the actor furious that he had no opportunity of making a comeback.
Throughout Caunter’s tenure as Roy, one of the headline-grabbing EastEnders storylines centred on Pat’s affair with her former partner, Frank Butcher, portrayed by Mike Reid. His on-screen son, Shaun Williamson, who portrayed Barry Evans, expressed last year: “He was like a second father to me and taught me so much about acting and life. A great actor and a great man. I will miss him so much.”
Caunter’s career extended far beyond EastEnders, featuring in productions such as Pennies From Heaven, Tumbledown, Juliet Bravo, and the drama Boon.