Tony Dow has passed away at age 77. He was best known for his role as big brother Wally in the classic TV sitcom “Leave It to Beaver”.
On his personal Facebook page, the management team made the announcement of his death at about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart 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. 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.”
Frank Bilotta and Renee James, who called themselves “dear friends,” wrote the post —which was praised by fans— and thanked supporters for their support.
“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.”
“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 was survived by his wife, Lauren, and two children.
The coronor has not released a cause of death.
On May 5, the actor who played Wally Cleaver on the iconic ’50s TV show announced he had cancer.
TMZ reports that news of the diagnosis came from his wife, who informed fans and thanked them for their prayers. According to TMZ, she didn’t reveal the sort of illness Dow was suffering.
In August 2021, Paris was briefly hospitalized with pneumonia for the first time since high school.
“Tony’s spirit is positive,” Lauren wrote on Facebook last year. “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.”
At the time, she said he had a “violent cough” that was “causing discomfort on the top of his head.”
During the series’ first six seasons from 1957 to 1963, Dow played Wally, Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver’s older brother.
In 1983, he became a member of the main family in another multi-camera adaptation of “Leave It to Beaver.” The show aired for four seasons until 1989. The new series follows the Cleaver children as adults and examines their familial problems.
Dow made his big-screen debut in 1956, appearing as “Dopey” in the musical comedy adaptation of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” In addition to “Leave It to Beaver,” he also appeared on shows including “My Three Sons,” and “Dr. Kildare”.
In 1965, he took a break from acting to serve in the National Guard for three years. He even went back to school and studied journalism during the 1970s.
Dow also made guest appearances on “Adam-12,” “The Mod Squad” and “Love American Style” throughout the decade.
In the 1980s, he appeared in the TV shows “Knight Rider,” “Square Pegs,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
The ‘90s were a decade of transition for Hill. He spent some time behind the camera during this decade, directing episodes for shows such as “Babylon 5” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”
