Who was Uncle Steve? Tributes pour in as TikToker passes away 

Fans of the TikTok influencer Uncle Steve woke up on the morning of June 7 to the devastating news of his passing. His brother-in-law Mike made the heartbreaking announcement in a video posted to his account.

The influencer rose to prominence through his videos highlighting the lesser-known aspects of living with Down syndrome, especially as an adult. He had accrued a following of 226.1k on the platform, and his videos have amassed over 4.3 million likes since his first video was posted on January 1, 2021.

Uncle Steve, or 'UncleSteveTok,' also regularly showcased his fondness for pizza, cakes, flavored water in his beloved water cup, and Wheel of Fortune, winning the hearts of many people worldwide.

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TikTok influencer Uncle Steve passes away

In an emotional video breaking the gut-wrenching news, Uncle Steve's brother-in-law Mike heaved heavily as he said:

"Hi everyone, this is Mike, Steve's brother-in-law. I am unfortunately reporting [that] Steve passed this morning peacefully. I just wanted to thank everyone that Steve loved, [for] TikTok, he loved the videos, it was something he did most days for several hours."

He continued:

"We just appreciate what everybody's done. [Everyone] that contributed to this TikTok, watched, and followed, and sent your thank you's and sorry's and all that, we really appreciate it. But he was in a lot of pain, and he is, obviously, like they say, in a better place. We're struggling, but we know he is well. Again, thank you."

The TikToker succumbed to an undisclosed illness he had been battling over the past week. In a video posted by his niece on Wednesday, June 1, she told his followers to pray for his recovery:

"Hi, if you follow Uncle Steve, I just wanted to give you an update that he has had some medical setbacks and is pretty sick. He is at home, being loved on (sic) by Mike and Jennifer, and we would just appreciate any prayers and good thoughts that you could send up for him."

The comments section was flooded with nearly 3000 comments expressing concern for Uncle Steve's health and worriedly asking for updates.

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Fans pay their respects to the influencer with tributes

Although TikTok is not particularly known for its object permanence, often feeding into this generation's exceedingly fleeting attention spans, some influencers on the platform break the mold and create a lasting impression in their followers' hearts and minds.

Uncle Steve was one such personality who touched the hearts of his over 200k followers, often being deemed the 'highlight of their day.' Several fans paid their tributes to the beloved TikToker, reminiscing about how he never failed to bring laughter to so many of their lives.

TikTok user @Sarahhh wrote:

"Crying while holding my 6mo son with Down Syndrome. We loved his videos and showed us a glimpse of what our son’s future could look like 💙💛"

Another user, @Mackenzie commented:

"So sorry to hear this. He brought a lot of joy to all of us!! Praying for you all!"

A third user, @Erika prayed:

"May the lunchtime goblin in the sky bring him pizza for every meal. Thinking of your family. Thank you for sharing him with us."

The announcement video has over 24k comments expressing their condolences and extending prayers that Uncle Steve is blessed with an endless supply of his favorite pizzas and bottomless margaritas in paradise.