Tony Dow, best known for his role as older brother Wally on the classic TV series “Leave It to Beaver,” has died. He was 77 years old.
His management team announced the news of his transfer on their official Facebook page on Tuesday morning.
“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning,” the post read.
“Tony was a beautiful soul – kind, compassionate, funny and humble. He was truly a joy to be around. His gentle voice and unassuming manner were immediately comforting and you couldn’t help but love him. The world has lost an incredible human being, but we are all richer for the memories he has left us.”
The post, written by Frank Bilotta and Renee James, who managed the star and called themselves “dear friends,” also thanked fans for their support.
“From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us lucky enough to know him personally, thank you Tony. And thank you for the reflections of a simpler time, the laughter, the friendship and the sense that you were a big brother to us all. We will miss you.”
He is survived by his wife, Lauren, and two sons.
The cause of death was not immediately given.
The actor, who played Wally Cleaver in the iconic 1950s sitcom, announced he was diagnosed with cancer on May 5.
His wife shared the news and thanked fans for their prayers, but did not reveal the type of cancer Dow was battling, according to TMZ.
“Leave It to Beaver” aired from 1957 to 1963. Everett Collection
The Hollywood native’s health issues first surfaced in August 2021 when he was briefly hospitalized with pneumonia.
“Tony’s spirit is positive,” Lauren wrote on Facebook last year. “He gets his daily exercise walking the halls with his nurse. If only he could get rid of that damn cough. It’s going to take some time.”
At the time, he noted that he had a “violent cough” that was “causing pains in the top of his head” at the time.
Dow played Wally, the older brother of Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver (Jerry Mathers), during the show’s original run from 1957 to 1963 for six seasons.
He later reprized his role in the sitcom’s sequel, “The New Leave It to Beaver,” in 1983. The show aired for four seasons until 1989. The new series followed the Cleaver children as adults dealing with their family problems.
Jerry Mathers, Barbara Billingsley and Tony Dow celebrated the beloved sitcom’s 50th anniversary in 2007.AP
Aside from “Leave It to Beaver,” Dow had success as a guest star on shows like “My Three Sons,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Lassie” and “The Greatest Show on Earth,” before taking on a recurring role in “Mr. Novak.” He also got behind the camera, having directed episodes of TV shows like “Coach,” “Babylon 5” and “Harry and the Henderson.”
In 1965, he retired from acting to serve in the National Guard for three years. He even tried his hand at writing and entered journalism school in the 1970s.
Dow also spent the decade with guest spots on “Adam-12,” “The Mod Squad” and “Love American Style.”
In the 1980s, he took on roles in the projects “Knight Rider”, “Square Pegs” and “Murder, She Wrote”.
The 90s saw the filmmaker spend some time behind the camera. He did some directing work in episodes of series like “Babylon 5” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”.