In the early morning of 25 December 1977, Chaplin died at home after suffering a stroke in his sleep.He was 88 years old. The funeral, on 27 December, was a small and private Anglican ceremony, according to his wishes.[335][note 26] Chaplin was interred in the Corsier-sur-Vevey cemetery.
1 March 1978 Chaplin's coffin was dug up and stolen from its grave by two unemployed immigrants, Roman Wardas, from Poland, and Gantcho Ganev, from Bulgaria. The body was held for ransom in an attempt to extort money from Oona Chaplin. The pair were caught in a large police operation in May, and Chaplin's coffin was found buried in a field in the nearby village of Noville. It was re-interred in the Corsier cemetery surrounded by reinforced concrete.