Faced with the loss of hundreds of photos from the last months of his wife's life, a Nanaimo man is begging the person who stole his camera to return it.

James Robertson discovered that his camera had been stolen from his pickup truck, which was parked outside his home at 1031 Haliburton St., on Oct. 9.

"I was absolutely crushed," said the 61-year-old retired social worker. He reported it to Nanaimo RCMP, but police spokesman Sgt. Gary O'Brien said there were no witnesses, which made investigation difficult.

But last week, Robertson's wife Laura Ramsay, who suffered from diabetes for 30 years, died, making the photos stored on the camera's memory card all the more precious. He decided to make a public plea for the camera's safe return.

"If it appeared on my doorstep in a waterproof container, I would be so grateful," he said, adding that he will accept it with no questions asked.

Robertson said after 28 years together, he and Ramsay got married in August 2008 and he had yet to download the photos from the wedding. There are also photos from their last vacation together, a fishing trip to Qualicum Beach that included happy moments with the couple's six grandchildren as well as time spent on the water.

Police say there was no forced entry into the Ford F350 truck from which the camera was stolen. Robertson said he remembers locking the truck but might have accidentally unlocked it with the remote.

He said the camera was kept in a distinct "African-style" bag made of woven hemp with black and tan zebra stripes.

Anyone with information can contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.