UPDATE: Tony Dow Still Alive, Per Family Member
UPDATE 7/26/2022 5:01 PM ET: Tony Dow is still alive, according to a new statement via his Facebook page.
The statement reads as follows:
“This morning Tony’s wife, Lauren, who was very distraught, had notified us that Tony had passed and asked that we notify all his fans. As we are sure you can understand, this has been a very trying time for her. We have since received a call from Tony’s daughter-in-law saying that while Tony is not doing well, he has not yet passed. Tony’s son Christopher and his daughter-in-law Melissa have also been by his side comforting him, and we will keep you posted on any future updates.”
ORIGINAL STORY
Tony Dow, best known for playing Wally Cleaver on the classic sitcom Leave It to Beaver, has died. He was 77.
Dow’s death was confirmed in a statement shared by his management team via his Facebook page. The statement reads as follows:
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning.
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. 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.
A cause of death wasn’t disclosed in the statement, but back in May, Dow and his wife of 42 year, Lauren, shared in a joint statement on Facebook that the cancer he fought years prior had returned.
Dow appeared on all 234 episodes of Leave It to Beaver where he played Wally Cleaver, the older brother of the titular Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver, who was played by Jerry Mathers. The series ran for six seasons from 1957-1963, with the first season airing on CBS and the remaining five seasons airing on ABC.
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