Tony Dow, who delighted audiences as big brother Wally Cleaver on the ‘50s and ‘60s sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” died Tuesday at age 77.
The actor announced in May that he was battling cancer, and in an update last week, Dow’s management team said he was experiencing complications from the disease.“Tony was a beautiful soul — kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him,” his managers said Tuesday in an announcement of his death.“His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him.
The series aired more than 230 episodes during its prolific run from 1957 and 1963 and is considered one of the most influential shows of its era.“From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally — thank you Tony,” Dow’s managers said. “Leave It to Beaver” was the first acting role for Dow, who won the job in a casting call. Following the show’s conclusion, Dow had a regular role as Chet on the series “Never Too Young,” a soap opera designed for teenage audiences.
He returned as Wally in the spinoff series “The New Leave It to Beaver,” which aired from 1983-89 and centered on Dow and Mathers’ characters as adults with their own families. That show also featured the return of Barbara Billingsley as the brothers’ mother, June Cleaver.
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