Tony Dow, who delighted audiences as the fan-favorite Wally Cleaver on the classic sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” died Tuesday at age 77.
The actor announced in May that he was battling cancer. His management team didn’t give a cause of death in an announcement Tuesday.
“Tony was a beautiful soul — kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him,” his managers said in a post shared on Dow’s official Facebook page.
“His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him.”
The Los Angeles-born Dow had more than three dozen acting credits during a career that spanned six decades, but he was best known for his performance as the popular and athletic older brother of Jerry Mathews’ title character on “Leave It to Beaver.”
Dow was a main cast member on the series, which aired more than 230 episodes during its prolific run from 1957 and 1963.
“The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us. From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally - thank you Tony,” Dow’s managers said.
“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.”
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