Tony Dow, who played Wally Cleaver on the TV show leave it to the beaver, died, according to the gallery owner who represented Dow as a sculptor. He was 77 years old and had been diagnosed with cancer.
“We have received confirmation from Christopher, Tony’s son, that Tony passed away earlier this morning, with his loving family by his side to accompany him on this journey,” according to a post on Facebook Wednesday afternoon said.
“We know the world is collectively saddened by the loss of this incredible man. He gave so much to all of us and was loved by so many. One fan said it best: ‘It’s rare that there is have a person who is so universally loved as Tony. ”
His death was confirmed by telephone by Frank Bilotta of the Bilotta Gallery which sells the Dow sculpture. The announcement came a day after news of Dow’s death was mistakenly posted and then that notice was deleted.
The Beaver’s Big Brother
Dow was 12 when he was cast as Wally Cleaver, the handsome and serious older brother of Theodore “The Beaver” Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers. Sibling rivalry, neighborhood mischief, school crush. The feel-good family comedy was a hit with audiences beginning in the late 1950s. leave it to the beaver was also white bread. As common sense media In other words, the series was “a very isolated look at a middle-class white family in suburban America”. Still, leave it to the beaver is in reruns on Peacock.
Dow grew up in a creative family in Hollywood. His father was a general contractor and interior designer. Her mother was one of Hollywood’s first stunt performers. Young Dow was a competitive swimmer and diver.
When leave it to the beaver ended in 1963, Dow starred in a number of television series, including Kid, never too young and, in the 1980s, a Cleaver Family reboot called The new leave it to the beaver. Later he worked behind the camera, directing episodes of Harry and the Hendersons and Coach among others.
Advocate for people with depression
Dow has been candid about his experience with depression. He was spokesperson for National association of depressives and manic-depressives, now called the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. The “irony,” as Dow put it, was clear to him. After speaking at an event for the organization in Chicago, he said: “You know, the fact that I was on a TV show that embodied the supposedly ideal world of the 1950s, and here I suffer depression. But I’m just one of millions.”
Later in life, Dow rekindled a lifelong passion for art, namely sculpture. On the site of the Bilotta Gallery who represents him, says Dow, “My goal since I was old enough to think about things was to live a creative life.”
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