Post by Admin on Jul 26, 2022 15:09:25 GMT -4
Actor Tony Dow who played Wally Cleaver, the older brother to Jerry Mathers' Beaver on TV sitcom "Leave It to Beaver," has died after a brief battle with cancer. He was 77.
In October 2021, it was reported that Dow was hospitalized with pneumonia. In May 2022, Dow was diagnosed with cancer.
Dow's death was announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning," the announcement from his management team said.
"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."
"Leave it to Beaver" began airing in 1957 and ran until 1963.
Dow was born in Hollywood, California. He won the role of Wally Cleaver in a casting call with very little acting experience.
After the series ended, Dow appeared on other television shows, including My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, Adam-12, Love American Style and The Mod Squad.
Dow served in the National Guard in the late 1960s
He reprised his role as Wally in a television movie and in "The New Leave It to Beaver".
In the 1990s, Dow revealed that he suffered from clinical depression.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Lauren Shulkind.
RIP
