Tony Dow, who was best known for playing Wally, the big brother, in the venerable TV sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” has passed away. He was 77.
On Tuesday morning, his management team posted a notice about his passing on his official Facebook page.
It stated, “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning,”
“Tony was a beautiful soul — kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him. His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him. The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us.”
Fans were also praised for their support in the post written by Frank Bilotta and Renee James, who managed the celebrity and identified themselves as “dear friends.”
“From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally — thank you Tony. And thank you for the reflections of a simpler time, the laughter, the friendship and for the feeling that you were a big brother to us all. We will miss you.”
He is survived by his wife, Lauren, and two children.
The cause of death has not been given.
The famous 1950s sitcom’s Wally Cleaver’s actor said on May 5 that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
His wife revealed the news and thanked supporters for their prayers but withheld the specific type of cancer Dow was battling.
When the Hollywood native was briefly hospitalised for pneumonia in August 2021, his health problems became apparent.
Lauren stated on Facebook last year that “Tony’s spirit is positive…He gets his daily exercise by walking the corridors with his nurse. If he could only get rid of that darn cough. It’s going to take some time.”
He had a “violent cough” that was “creating discomfort on the top of his head” at the time, she observed.
Dow portrayed Wally, Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver’s older brother, in the sitcom during its initial run from 1957 to 1963 for six seasons. Jerry Mathers played Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver.
In the 1983 sitcom sequel “The New Leave It to Beaver,” he later played the same character again. Up until 1989, the programme ran for four seasons. In the new series, the Cleaver children were seen as grownups coping with their familial problems.
Prior to landing a recurring position on “Mr. Novak,” Dow had success guest-starring on episodes like “My Three Sons,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Lassie,” and “The Greatest Show on Earth” in addition to “Leave It to Beaver.” Additionally, he gained experience in front of the camera by directing episodes of TV series like “Coach,” “Babylon 5”, and “Harry and the Hendersons.”
He took a hiatus from acting in 1965 to spend three years in the National Guard. In the 1970s, he even attempted writing and enrolled in a journalism programme.
Also during this time period, Dow appeared as a guest on “Adam-12,” “The Mod Squad,” and “Love American Style.”