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UPDATE, JULY 27: According to a Facebook post and confirmation from TMZ, Tony Dow has passed away. Original story follows below.
UPDATE, JULY 26 (afternoon): Despite reports to the contrary, it now seems that Tony Dow is still alive. Original story is as follows.
Tony Dow, the actor best known for his role as Wally Cleaver in the 1950s and early 1960s sitcom Leave it to Beaver, has died. He was 77.
His management team and dear friends Frank Bilotta and Renee James announced his passing in a Facebook post, describing him as a “beautiful soul — kind, compassionate, funny, and humble.”
They continued, “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 post went on to remember him as an “amazing human being” who left the world richer for the memories he has left.
“From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally — thank you Tony,” they wrote. “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.”
Dow’s wife, Lauren, announced on Facebook in May that the actor’s cancer had returned and although he was “approaching this reality so bravely,” it was “truly heartbreaking.”
Last week, his management team posted an update on the social media platform.
“As we are sure you can imagine, this has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs as Tony continues his fight with cancer,” they said. “Tony has been in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments.”
From 1957 to 1963, Dow most notably starred on all six seasons of Leave it to Beaver as Wally Cleaver, the older brother to Jerry Mathers’ Theodore “The Beaver” Cleaver. He later returned to the show’s 1983 TV movie, Still the Beaver, and the four-season sequel series, The New Leave it to Beaver from 1983 to 1989.
Dow also went on to appear in the sitcom My Three Sons and the comedy Back to the Beach alongside Frankie Avalon as well as directed episodes of Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
